How does the Caris LeVert trade impact the Atlanta Hawks?

The Atlanta Hawks were one of the first teams to make a move this season but with the trade deadline approaching do not expect them to be the last. The LA Clippers made a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers as the Oregon franchise got back under the luxury tax. That will not be the focus of this article however, this one looks at how the Caris LeVert trade impacts the team.

The full details of the LeVert trade are that the Indiana Pacers sent LeVert and a 2022 second-round pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers. In return, the Pacers receive Ricky Rubio, a 2022 first-round draft pick, lottery protected, the Houston Rockets 2022 second-round pick, and the Utah Jazz’s 2027 second-round pick.

What this trade screams of is the Indiana Pacers are looking to blow things up and the Cleveland Cavaliers are positioning themselves for a run at the title. This has some impact on the season for the rest of the NBA, the Atlanta Hawks are no exception to this.

How does the Caris LeVert trade impact the Atlanta Hawks?

LeVert is a strong wing who is averaging 14.7 points, 4.0 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.1 steals over 27.4 minutes per game over his six seasons in the NBA. The Cavaliers are a surprisingly good team, bucking the NBA trend of going smaller with plenty of shooting. They are starting three guys who are around 7’0″ feet tall.

They have not had a huge amount of luck with guards, losing both Collin Sexton and Rubio to season-ending injuries. Replacing Rubio with the talents of LeVert means that the Cavaliers have no holes in their starting lineup. The Hawks are able to match up reasonably well against the Cavaliers but that did not stop them from losing the first game between the two teams at the start of the season.

With two more games against the Cavaliers, the Hawks have a chance to scout a potential playoff opponent. They will need to beat the Cavaliers at least once to help keep their season alive. However, the other side of the trade should help the Hawks.

The Hawks have three games left against the Pacers, this time they will not have the services of LeVert. They are also missing Malcolm Brogdon, T.J. McConnell, T.J. Warren, and Myles Turner which should mean a victory next game, which is when the Hawks take on the Pacers.

With the Pacers looking to blow the roster up, they will look to trade other key pieces, looking towards the future. This should mean that the Hawks get all three wins in the games remaining, helping them towards their goal of playoff qualification.