The Atlanta Hawks made their first trade of the season, sending Cam Reddish, Solomon Hill and a 2025 second-round pick to the New York Knicks. In return they got the Services of Kevin Knox as well as the Charlotte Hornets 2022 first round draft pick, which is protected 1-18.
If the draft were to happen today, the Hawks would have that pick which is sitting at number 20. As stated in the trade grades, the Hawks have managed to get players like John Collins, Kevin Huerter, and Jalen Johnson around this position in the draft. The Hawks could also use that pick to help make another trade.
The Hawks have got themselves a player who is happy to take catch and shoot 3-point shots as well as create offense for himself as required. Given that Knox is in the final year of his rookie deal, he is going to try and prove himself to get the best possible deal for his next contract.
The Atlanta Hawks have so many unseen benefits from the Kevin Knox trade.
One of the benefits that the Hawks will see is that they got rid of the final year of Reddish’s contract. They had $150 million worth of contracts on their books next season which has decreased to $144 million. While this may not sound like much, if the Hawks make more trades, this extra wiggle room may help them land their next superstar.
The next benefit is that the have managed to free up a roster spot by moving Solomon Hill. By including him in the trade they have no financial penalty meaning that they have created more space for a future trade.
However, if the Hawks do not make another trade, they can use this final roster spot to sign a player who can fit their needs. The ability to sign another player at this point of the season could make the difference between a playoff spot or missing the postseason.