After exploring two possible trades that the Atlanta Hawks could potentially make with the OKC Thunder and then the Western Conference, let’s turn our eyes East and see who could help. This franchise is in desperate need of a backup point guard who can keep the offense going when Trae Young sits.
Fortunately for the Hawks, they have some incredible talent on the roster. When Young missed a game against the Sacramento Kings due to lower back soreness, the rest of the team were able to come away with a victory.
However, the Portland game is a true case in point. Young scored 56 points and had 14 assists in a losing effort to a Blazers team without Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. When Young was off the court the Hawks were simply unable to produce good offense.
The Atlanta Hawks need a better fit than Delon Wright as their backup PG.
While the Hawks have loved Delon Wright’s defense, he is appearing indecisive on offense, missing players who are open and just not making the right plays. In the Kings game, Wright seemed to be trying too hard. At one point he passed the ball to Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot from a couple of meters away.
The Frenchman was behind the 3-point line and missed the shot. The problem was that the ball came too hard and was not in his shooting pocket. It is this sort of small detail that can impact a team’s ability to win. He passed the ball to the correct player, but the way he made the pass had a negative impact on the shot.
Without further ado, let’s look at the Eastern Conference trades which may help the Atlanta Hawks.
The Atlanta Hawks could make a trade with the Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are one of the worst teams in the league. They are in the middle of a rebuild which is going to be focussed around their youth of Cade Cunningham, Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey, and Isaiah Stewart. However, every young team needs some good veterans to help their future core develop.
With this trade, the Pistons get the defense and scoring of Wright without the need for him to be the main playmaker on the floor. He can help guide the younger guard unit as they blossom into the NBA players they will be. The Hawks will also need to add draft capital to get the deal done.
In return, the Hawks get a more experienced point guard who has played for five different teams and has managed to average 3.0 assists per game over his entire career. These numbers are impressive given that he has come off the bench for most of his career.
Joseph is also on just under $5.0 million for the season with a player option next season for $5.1 million. This gives the Hawks another $3.0 million to play with at the trade deadline which could make a difference as to which players they are able to land.
The Atlanta Hawks could make a trade with the Washington Wizards
A lot of mid-season trades tend to tinker around the edges. It is difficult for a team to integrate a key player into their rotation. However, given that the Hawks are currently out of the play-in equation, you could argue that they have very little to lose.
Coming back after a partially torn ACL, Spencer Dinwiddie has not performed at the same level as he did pre-injury. This will not be an issue for the Hawks as he would be a tremendous addition to a talented guard lineup.
While he does have a large contract with two years left at just over $18.0 million per season. If he is able to form a partnership with Young that gets the Hawks to the title, they will be able to move Danilo Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, or Clint Capela at the end of the season to keep themselves from going way over the tax the following year.
The Wizards would get Gorgui Dieng as he makes the money work. They would also get Delon Wright as a backup to Bradley Beal. However, the jewel in the crown for the Wizards would be Cam Reddish who the Hawks may not be able to afford to extend given their salary cap situation. This is a true risk versus reward trade and may push the Hawks to the promised land.