Hawks' notable erasure proves they've transcended eras in a fascinating way

The most frustrating part of following the Hawks closely is the monumental disrespect they receive more often than not. It's followed their franchise since the beginning, and it reached a new peak in the heights of the Trae Young era. Well, he's gone, and times have clearly changed.

It's shocking how little Atlanta's embarrassing elimination has been discussed by the national media. In many other previous regimes, it would've been inescapable. If anything, it shows that those around the league are intrigued by what the Hawks are building right now. It's not difficult to see why, as they have an ascending young core that could soon take over the Eastern Conference.

Clearly, players are on the same page as the rest of the league, as they didn't include the Hawks in a humiliating poll that they certainly would've years ago.

Hawks should be over the moon about not getting mentioned here

In a recent anonymous poll conducted by The Athletic, NBA players took vote on which team they would least want to be traded to. Many controversial squads were mentioned by the 120 players who were asked, but the Atlanta Hawks weren't one of them.

The Memphis Grizzlies surprisingly led the way, picking up just under 36% of the votes. The Wizards and Kings each made a solid case for second-place, both getting mentioned over 10% of the time. This is as low as an organization can go, as it shows the best of the best have no interest in what they've got going on.

Reputation is a major trajectory predictor in today's NBA, as it's becoming more player-driven with each passing day. When players are vocal about the specific teams they don't want to be moved to, it's hard to imagine them being able to turn it around quickly.

Hawks fans know this story all too well. They've been able to right their wrongs and quickly establish a solid reputation, but it didn't come without years of disrespect geared towards those at the top of the franchise.

It still isn't too late to jump on the Hawks' bandwagon

There's a reason Atlanta wasn't mentioned. General Manager Onsi Saleh has done a phenomenal job transcending eras, making the moves many other lead decision-makers are afraid to make. His lack of hesitation has worked like a charm for his organization so far, and there's no reason to believe it'll pause.

Led by excellent young stars in Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels, jumping on board with the Hawks might soon prove to be a wise decision.

If this recent poll is any indicator, it's clear that players might just be thinking the same.

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