The Atlanta Hawks have lost seven straight games. And with no real benefits to bottoming out since they do not control their 2025 first-round pick, they are almost pigeonholed into being buyers before the trade deadline on February 6.
Following the loss of Jalen Johnson, that need seems evident, and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports the Hawks are a team to watch before Thursday.
Interestingly, the potential target is someone they already passed on acquiring once.
“Brandon Ingram is a guy who's been on the trade block for months,” Windhorst said on “Get Up” on January 31. “Specifically, keep an eye on the Atlanta Hawks. They just lost their star wing, Jalen Johnson, for the season. They may start to get interested in making a move, especially for Brandon Ingram. Keep an eye on that.”
Ingram, 27, is averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game this season, shooting 37.4% from beyond the arc with a 53.0% effective field goal mark.
He has not played since December 7, though his return to action appears to be getting closer.
Brandon Ingram getting some work in before tonight's game. The intensity in his workouts has been steadily going up. pic.twitter.com/K1Ae88d13L
— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) January 30, 2025
Still, Ingram has played 18 games this season – three since November 19 – and is in the final year of a five-year, $158.2 million contract. He could be a rental for any team with unrestricted free agency on deck after the season.
Most notably, though, the Hawks could have seemingly had Ingram before the season ever even began.
The Stein Line’s Marc Stein linked the Hawks to a trade for Ingram in May 2024.
“A growing belief leaguewide that Pelicans will aggressively explore the trade market for Brandon Ingram before next season,” Stein wrote on May 12. “A handful of Eastern Conference teams (Philadelphia, Cleveland, Atlanta and Orlando) have already been mentioned as potential trade suitors for Ingram.”
Jake Fischer reported in June 2024 about league-wide speculation about the Hawks as a “popular landing spot” for Ingram.
Fischer noted there had been “no substantive talks” regarding the one-time All-Star, though.
The stage would seem to be set now for a trade of center Clint Capela, who the Pelicans previously had an interest in acquiring. But similar framework was reported to be of little interest to the Hawks.
“Atlanta didn’t have much interest in giving Ingram his next contract or moving either of its top two centers,” The Athletic’s Will Guillory wrote on July 8, citing league sources.
The Hawks ultimately traded Murray to the Pelicans, but left Capela and Ingram out of the deal.
Hawks could go full circle on Brandon Ingram trade
Perhaps that logic has changed now with Johnson out for the season. Acquiring Ingram would allow the Hawks to slot him or maybe even Zaccharie Risacher at the 4 spot, leaving De’Andre Hunter – or any other potential replacement – in their current roles.
The Hawks are also linked to a potential deal that would send Bogdan Bogdanovic to the Phoenix Suns for center Jusuf Nurkic.
Such a move would free the Hawks to trade Capela for Ingram.
The Hawks could be looking at a post-trade-deadline starting lineup of Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Brandon Ingram, Onyeka Okongwu with a bench unit helmed by Hunter, Nurkic, Larry Nance Jr., and Vit Krejci.
The bench would be the biggest question mark in either scenario. But the Hawks could also look to flip Nance and/or fellow reserve big Cody Zeller to flesh out the roster.
Reserves David Roddy, Garrison Mathews, and Keaton Wallace are just that at this point.