The Atlanta Hawks are again having difficulty with their offense when Trae Young sits. This has been the story of the Hawks’ offense ever since they drafted Young almost four years ago. This is not an issue with Young, it is an issue for those who have come on as the backup point guard.
Unfortunately for the Hawks, their current backup is Delon Wright, a player who has had success at both ends of the court during his career. However, as a member of the Atlanta Hawks, Wright has struggled to make his mark.
If the Hawks are not careful then this positional issue could cost them the chance of getting a good seeding in the playoffs. Worst case scenario is that it could cost them a playoff berth altogether. At the time of writing the Hawks are sitting in 12th position in the Eastern Conference standings but it is not as bad as it looks, yet.
The Atlanta Hawks are desperate to rectify the non-Trae Young minutes
According to Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com, the Hawks have an offensive rating of 117.2 when Trae Young is on the floor. This is better than the league-leading Utah Jazz who have an offensive rating of 117.0. Their actual offensive rating is 113.1 which is second in the entire league.
However, when Young is not on the floor the Hawks offensive rating drops significantly to 100.2. This is worse than the OKC Thunder who have the worst offensive rating in the entire league at 100.9. This just goes to show that the Hawks need to fix their backup point guard issue and it is most probably going to be via trade.
Let’s look at two potential trades from the Western Conference which may help solve the issue for the Hawks.
The Atlanta Hawks could make a trade with the Houston Rockets
Looking around the NBA there are a number of players who would fix the Hawks issues at the backup point position. However, most of them come with a fairly significant price tag and still may not fit into the Hawks system. One player that would is D.J. Augustin.
The Rockets get a solid point guard who can help improve their defense as well as their offense. Wright has shown the ability to get buckets but is not what the Hawks need right now. In Houston, the offense is focused around Christian Wood and Wright seems to be better when he can feed the big men as he did with the Sacramento Kings.
The Hawks would get the veteran presence of Augustin who has played for 10 different teams in his 14 seasons in the league. This is no knock on Augustin’s ability, he has been traded three times but that is partially due to his value to tip a trade over the edge.
Augustin is undersized but can shoot the ball well from the perimeter, makes good sensible decisions with the ball in hand, and can produce offense for himself and others. The concern is the $7.3 million contract for next season if he does not work out but the Hawks have a history of getting this size contract off their books.
The Atlanta Hawks could make a trade with the Denver Nuggets
In a true case of you having to give a little to get a little, the Hawks trade with the Denver Nuggets is a true risk vs reward scenario. The Nuggets have battled through the time they have been without Jamal Murray, but if they are going to compete for Finals, they need to add some quality.
The Nuggets would get Wright, whose lack of playmaking would not be an issue thanks to their big center, MVP Nikola Jokic who is the best passing big man in the game. This would allow him to react to the play and be a top-level defender on the wing. Cam Reddish has a much greater ceiling than Jeff Green and would mesh well with the young Nuggets.
The Hawks would benefit from Green’s versatility and experience as they look to try and move their way back up the standings in the Eastern Conference. However, the jewel of this trade is Facundo Campazzo.
The 30-year-old Argentinian point guard would take the Hawks’ second unit to another level. Not only is he a feisty defender, but he is also a whirlwind of activity on offense. Campazzo is a pass-first point guard which will benefit the Hawks team who rely so much on Trae Young to create for them to be competitive.