This offseason has been all about “what ifs” for the Atlanta Hawks. Especially after ownership echoed management’s lamentations over not making any significant adjustments to the roster after last season or at this season’s trade deadline. That has gotten the rumor mill fired up with the Hawks connected to some big fish.
Names like Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert or Chicago Bulls free-agent guard Zach LaVine have all been floated this offseason.
Both of them would be huge gets. But what if the Hawks want to go in another direction?
That is the scenario created by Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. He suggested that the Sacramento Kings move off of their current selection at fourth overall in the 2022 NBA Draft set to take place on June 23.
Would the Atlanta Hawks break up the core for a top-5 selection in the 2022 NBA Draft?
Winfield’s suggestion sends the fourth-overall pick to the Hawks in exchange for De’Andre Hunter. He also sends Collins to a third, unspecified team. Typically, that would be enough to sidestep the proposal altogether. But we have enough just in recent news to gather a shortlist of takers for Collins to entertain this one.
Collins’ name has become synonymous with trade speculation since last offseason when he was a restricted free agent.
Though a market never materialized – perhaps due to the Hawks’ openness regarding their intentions – speculation ran rampant that any number of teams would be falling over themselves to land the high-flying forward.
Now, after he signed a five-year, $125 million contract to return to Atlanta, those same hypothetical teams would have to give up compensation for him.
Hunter is an interesting player in his own right. Highly coveted by this front office during the season, they must now decide if they want to extend him this offseason (like Kevin Huerter last summer) or let things play out in restricted free agency as they did with Collins.
His performance throughout the season left a lot to be desired while his 35-point, 11-rebound effort in the deciding Game 5 against the Miami Heat inspired.
That is the conundrum he presents for the Hawks.
Would they consider moving both of those players for a shot at a top guard like Purdue’s Jaden Ivey? They have talked about wanting to get Trae Young off of the ball more next season a la Steph Curry. Getting a talented player like Ivey would help facilitate that.
This is a team that was in the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago and sounded very disappointed with their efforts this past season. It is hard to see that translating into taking a step back by trading somewhat proven assets for the potential of even a high draft pick.
Then again, they were not expected to take Jalen Johnson last year and that happened. And they could likely get back additional assets as well. Decisions, decisions.