Atlanta's hot start to the season is exactly what President of Basketball Operations Onsi Saleh dreamed - to be a buyer in the NBA, you need one thing above all else: a winning record.
Winning the first two games of your schedule in decisive fashion is just what the doctor ordered for a Hawks team at a crossroads heading into the year. A win against the rival Orlando Magic was a fantastic way to start the season - even with a couple of key shooters opening the year icy-cold, it was more than enough to dispatch the rivals from Florida.
The next game, Dyson Daniels put the league back on notice as to why he's been such a constant name in All-Defensive conversations - his seven steals helped to spearhead an utterly dominant defensive performance from the Hawks as a whole against the shorthanded Hornets.
With Atlanta's hot start and their open cap books, they find themselves near the top of the list of desirable trade destinations for big-name players this February.
Atlanta's cap flexibility is their greatest hidden strength
Beyond the Hawks' on-court victories, Onsi Saleh helped to secure an extra-hardwood win this summer.
The Hawks have one of the most flexible cap books in the entire league. With Jalen Johnson earning $30M, he somehow sits atop their cap sheet. Other organizations see contracts into the $60-$70M range, and the Hawks' greatest deal is less than half of such a metric.
In addition to their lack of an extreme cap outlier, they've also accumulated ample expiring deals, perfect for landing a big-name star at the deadline - CJ McCollum, Jock Landale, and Luguentz Dort are earning a combined $53M in expiring cash this year.
Big-name movers at the deadline - cold, room-temp, and hot takes
Atlanta could target a bevy of stars in February thanks to their aforementioned cap flexibility and expiring contracts - but who are a few that could find themselves on the hot seat in a few months?
Let's take a conservative shot first at Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings.
Sabonis has been a name squarely on the trade market for the last handful of seasons, and his asking price has been reduced as he continues to age. Atlanta could easily acquire the dominant big man, who would be complemented beautifully by Atlanta's strong core of perimeter defenders.
A tangibly more difficult target to acquire would be Steph Curry from the Golden State Warriors.
While Curry did ink an extension this summer with his long-time organization amidst trade rumors, odds are the Dubs will end up short of where they hope to be in a stacked Western Conference come February.
If Jimmy Butler doesn't return to form how they hope prior to the deadline, paired with what's likely to be an ugly record, don't be shocked if Curry finds himself back in trade conversations at such a time.
Finally, what's likely to be a longshot, Nikola Jokic is a name at least worth monitoring as the season progresses.
Sure, Jokic may be the best player in the league - but what if Denver doesn't have it anymore?
If the Nuggets face similar injury woes to last year and they find themselves in the play-in thanks to an aging core and tougher opponents, Jokic could find himself the centerpiece of an absolute stunner of a blockbuster trade in February - Atlanta would make the most sense from a cap space perspective, as well as an asset return standpoint.
While it may not be any player as talented as Sabonis, Curry or Jokic, look for the Hawks to make plenty of calls in advance of the February deadline to acquire additional talent. As long as their core continues to dominate, Atlanta would be silly to not capitalize on their momentum.
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