Atlanta Hawks: Tensions are rising in Minnesota and New Orleans

The Atlanta Hawks have carefully built the current roster mostly over the past three years. Draft picks like John Collins (18th overall in 2017) laid the groundwork for a team that went from finishing 14th in the Eastern Conference in 2020 to the fifth-seed last season with a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals to show for it.

As the players on the team have developed even better than expected they are bing re-warded with new money, seemingly locking in the core of Trae Young, John Collins, and Clint Capela.

But management has said the Hawks would pull the trigger on a deal for the right superstar. The most common names have been Bradley Beal or the disgruntled Ben Simmons. But two players who have always been at the top of the wishlist could be more attainable than ever.

The Atlanta Hawks opportunity to land KAT, Zion may come sooner rather than later

There have been links between the Hawks and both Karl-Anthony Towns and Zion Williamson for quite some time. Young and his father were openly supportive of Towns as he dealt with the loss of his mother (and a host of other family members) to COVID last year. Williamson famously tapped the Hawks podium with a smile on draft night.

Neither players’ organization has been publicly open to moving on and, honestly, they don’t have reason to. At least not yet.

On Tuesday, Minnesota ousted its president of basketball operations, Gersson Rosas. In a story rife with mismanagement and even an office love affair, there were also those within the organization who seemed to jibe just fine with Rosas.

One of those people is presumably Towns, who sent out a fairly simple tweet that spoke volumes (assuming it was about Rosas, of course).

Minnesota has also reportedly been pursuing Ben Simmons though that is not believed to be something that would ruffle their All-NBA center’s feathers. Though it could cost them D’Angelo Russell with whom KAT is very close.

The latter was key in the former winding up in with the Timberwolves with the hopes it would keep him happy in Minnesota.

So far, it seems, no good.

Williamson’s issues dates back to last season when he was trying to return from a knee injury. What was supposed to take three weeks turned into three months.

As more time passed, his family became vocal about the situation but, more importantly, things in the front office began to unravel. We have come to learn of disparaging remarks reportedly made by General Manager David Griffin about former Head Coach Alvin Gentry and of the former’s failed attempts to meet with and pacify the hopeful superstar.

The team’s offseason moves included essentially swapping Lonzo Ball (with whom Williamson was close) and Steven Adams for Devonte’ Graham and Jonas Valanciunas, billing the latter two as a better fit for a ball-dominant Williamson and teammate Brandon Ingram.

Williamson’s fit with Ingram is also said to be a spot of contention as well though.

We’re still light years away from the Hawks actually landing either KAT or Zion. But we’ve already seen the rhetoric around them change this offseason. Things could reach a fever pitch with either team projected to make the postseason.

Getting one or the other would cost one (or possibly both) of Collins or Capela. The former cannot be traded until January at the earliest and the latter is key to what the Hawks do. Towns and Williamson are virtually the only deals worth moving one of the Hawks big men for. Will they do it? Who knows. But they could very well get their shot.