The Atlanta Hawks are struggling, they have lost eight of their last nine, and nine of their last 11 games. It is safe to say that they are in need of injecting some new talent so that they are relevant for the second half of the season.
Fortunately, the Hawks have a plethora of assets that they have the ability to move which will not weaken their team. It is unlikely that they will move Trae Young, Clint Capela, or De’Andre Hunter but everyone else is fair game for trade.
The New York Knicks are a really good trade partner. They are not contenders yet but they are having a bounce-back season behind the play of Julius Randle. On top of that, they have added Derrick Rose to the squad as a veteran presence.
Reportedly, the Knicks have also made Kevin Knox available for trade and this is where the Hawks should become interested. Knox has a good game, especially from beyond the 3-point arc. Now, let’s take a look at the first trade which could interest the Hawks
Atlanta Hawks trade No. 1)
This is a straight-up swap of Cam Reddish for Knox. This works on a couple of levels for both teams. Reddish is a defense-first shooting guard who can play multiple positions. While he is struggling from deep this season, a change in scenery may be all that is required to get his shots going again.
For the Hawks, they would get a backup small forward who has the ability to space the floor to help the spluttering Hawks offense. However, it is more fun looking at trades involving multiple pieces so let’s move on to the next deal.
Atlanta Hawks trade idea No. 2
The depth of the issues for the Atlanta Hawks at the moment requires a more in-depth trade, involving more than one player moving from the roster. This trade involves two players from each team which helps both teams.
In this trade, the Hawks get Knox and point guard Austin Rivers. In return, the Knicks get Reddish and Rajon Rondo. Again, Reddish is a defensive-minded player which is a skill-set prized above all others by coach Tom Thibodeau. Rondo is another veteran to help run the team, backing up the newly acquired Derrick Rose.
The Hawks benefit from getting the floor spacing Knox. However, they also get Austin Rivers who is able to run the second unit, creating for others but also is able to take the scoring load on his own should it be required.
Atlanta Hawks trade idea No. 3
The third trade idea between these two franchises involves the two players mentioned in the last trade. However, adding another player from each side makes this worth a look.
By adding the big men to the trade, this becomes particularly interesting for both sides. The first two players have been discussed previously so let’s take a look at how these two players would impact the franchises.
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With Nerlens Noel, the Hawks have one of the best reserve big men in the league. During his time with the OKC Thunder, Noel hed their second unit together defensively. He was also able to start in place of Steven Adams when required.
His role with the Hawks would be in a similar role. When Capela comes off the court, Noel would go on and this would give the second unit some bite defensively. This is going to help the Hawks not lose so many leads late in quarters and late in games.
For the Knicks, they get Onyeka Okongwu, another young player who is a defensively-minded player to develop who is on a long-term rookie contract. While they do have Obi Toppin, they are using him as a spot-up shooter, where Okongwu is more of a back-to-the-basket player.