The Atlanta Hawks are no longer in pursuit of Anthony Davis per Jake Fischer, and with two days to the trade deadline, it is clear this is their final verdict. Fischer said, "I've been told pretty reliably that Atlanta is not a team to expect to circle back on the wagons for Anthony Davis."
In a vacuum, Davis is perfect. Once the prototypical big man star, the former first overall pick is one of the greatest defenders of this century. Paired with his pick and roll chops and his extraordinary lob finishing, Davis would instantly solve the Hawks’ big man crisis when healthy.
An AD trade, however, comes with three major flaws.
The Hawks are wise to steer clear of a hasty overpay
The first problem with trading for Davis is the outgoing talent. Excluding picks, the commonly agreed-upon trade framework involves Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kennard, and possibly Zaccharie Risacher. The Hawks made it clear that Risacher is not available, and it appears the Dallas Mavericks are willing to accept only Porzingis and Kennard.
While Porzingis is Atlanta’s most impactful player, Kennard is the loss the Hawks cannot afford. After trading Vit Krejci to Portland on Sunday morning, the Hawks have just two sharpshooters left on the roster: Kennard and Corey Kispert (excluding Porzingis, who has only played in 33% of available games this season).
By trading Kennard and Porzingis, the Hawks’ 8-man rotation would just have three shooters shooting above the league average of 35.9%. This is a flaw the Hawks would not be able to overcome, even with Davis.
Davis is also seeking a contract extension, marking a second red flag. He is already set to make $175 million on a three-year deal. Represented by Rich Paul and the ever-powerful Klutch Sports Group, it is likely Davis will indeed get his wish of a lucrative extension.
If Atlanta wants to remain serious over the Jalen Johnson era, they cannot afford to extend such a risky contract offer. It is absurd that Davis is already seeking a contract extension, and the Hawks would be foolish to welcome such a problematic contract situation into their team.
The last problem with Davis is the one that’s plagued him his entire career. The man just cannot stay healthy.
It is a shame, as Davis had won a ring and finished top-6 in MVP voting three times by the time he was 26. Ostensibly entering his prime, he could have established himself as a true two-way superstar alongside LeBron James, a la Kevin Garnett to Paul Pierce.
But basketball can be a cruel sport, and Davis’s body was one of its victims. He’s averaged over 30 missed games a year since the turn of the decade and has already missed 29 this season. There’s no evidence to suggest his injury struggles will improve, particularly for a Hawks team that would heavily rely on him.
Onsi Saleh wisely avoided the trap of trading for a star player after losing Trae Young in a disappointing trade.