Grade the Trade: Hawks land Damian Lillard in bold trade pitch

The Atlanta Hawks are slowly reshaping their roster and their organization, with a new head coach, a new front office and a roster being molded into a younger, more dynamic collection of players. John Collins is now in Utah, while TyTy Washington and Usman Garuba are young fliers to mold into long-term rotation players.

The next major step occurred this week, with the Hawks and Dejounte Murray agreeing to a four-year, $120 million contract extension. Such an extension could be the precursor to a deal at the Trade Deadline, but it also could be the Hawks’ front office committing to the guard they want in town long-term.

Damian Lillard is the player Trae Young hopes to be

It’s no secret that Trae Young’s personality and on-court play style have rubbed this organization the wrong way at times, and it’s fair to wonder if the team is looking around at options to go in another direction. Front and center in the headlines is Damian Lillard, a more accomplished version of what Young hopes to be as a scorer and shooter, but one who is applauded for his leadership and team focus.

With Lillard asking for a trade out of Portland, teams around the league are asking whether he could fit on their roster. Should the Hawks make a play for Damian Lillard? Let’s see what such a trade would look like and whether it makes sense for the Hawks.