The Atlanta Hawks are a “team to watch” this offseason, according to Sportac's Keith Smith.
Even more notable, Smith's reasoning aligns with a new report from The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer, and also with previous reports about the Hawks’ potential plans for the upcoming offseason.
It all centers around the $25.3 million trade exception they created in trading Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2024 offseason.
“Sources say Atlanta … is actively exploring ways to capitalize on a $25 million trade exception it still possesses as a vestige from last summer's Dejounte Murray trade to New Orleans,” Fischer wrote on June 22. “It’s a tool that puts the Hawks in play for some potential sign-and-trade scenarios once the offseason begins in earnest.”
According to Smith, he has heard similar rumblings in the NBA grapevine.
“Jake’s note in here about the Hawks and their $25M TPE matches the buzz I've heard this week,” Smith posted on X on June 21.
“Atlanta is well under the tax and the aprons, even factoring in a potential new deal for Caris LeVert. That makes them a team to watch in trade talks using the league's largest TPE.”
The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie also speculated about the Hawks’ ability to be active this offseason.
Hawks trade buzz building as offseason draws near
They have notably been linked to several centers and guards, both in free agency, trade scenarios, and the 2025 NBA Draft, with most of the NBA being into their offseason planning during the NBA Finals.
Vecenie praised the Hawks’ cap management, which includes another TPE.
Look, they have their non-taxpayer mid-level, they have a massive, enormous trade exception, they have a $25 million trade exception for DeJonte Murray that I believe expires in August or something. That, and then they also have a big trade exception from the Bogdan Bogdanovich deal that they did earlier this year, too,” Vecenie said on the “Game Theory” podcast on June 11.
“Their cap guys have done really well creating options. They are $48 million away from the first apron without their draft picks. So, it’ll be, probably, right around $40-ish [million] away from the first apron. So, in theory, they could do their non-taxpayer and take like a massive deal from somebody else that wants to like dump salary and get picks.”
How the Hawks treat the Murray TPE will be telling, especially after it essentially replaced one they generated by trading John Collins to the Utah Jazz in 2023.
The exemption generated from trading Bogdanovic to the Los Angeles Clippers is worth $13.1 million.
That is not too far under the non-taxpayer mid-level exception for 2025-26 ($14 million).
The Hawks are indeed armed to take a significant step forward this offseason, if that is a path they wish to take. They could also take on bad assets along with capital to build further toward the future.