The Atlanta Hawks are inching closer to escaping basketball limbo. With a deep and balanced roster, flush with productive veterans and promising up-and-comers alike, Atlanta has been toeing the .500 line in a manner that somehow feels different from previous seasons.
The Hawks are building toward something rewarding, and with the 2025 NBA trade deadline nearing, they could be one move away from making a splash as soon as this season.
Atlanta has loaded up on captivating young players with significant upside. 23-year-old forward Jalen Johnson has taken a significant step toward All-Star status, 21-year-old guard Dyson Daniels has All-Defense written all over him, and 19-year-old rookie Zaccharie Risacher is showing early signs of well-rounded value and potential.
Compounded by the presence of 24-year-old big man Onyeka Okongwu, who remains one of the most alluring talents on Atlanta's roster, the young core is a source of profound intrigue.
Balancing out the youth movement is the immensely productive Trae Young, a resurgent De'Andre Hunter, and respected veterans such as Bodgan Bogdanovic and Clint Capela. With one of the deepest rotations in the NBA, Atlanta is closer to greatness than some might presume.
The 2025 NBA trade deadline should thus be viewed as the perfect opportunity for the Hawks to follow in the footsteps of the 2023-24 Indiana Pacers.
The 2025 Hawks can be the 2024 Pacers with the right trade
Indiana neared the 2024 NBA trade deadline with a deep and balanced roster that included an All-Star point guard, several intriguing up-and-comers, and the need for the right veteran to take them over the top. It responded with assertiveness, declaring itself a contender with a trade for Pascal Siakam.
The Pacers' aggressive dealing was rewarded all but immediately, as they made a shocking run to the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals.
Fast forward a season and the Hawks are in the perfect position to follow in the Pacers' footsteps. The Eastern Conference remains remarkably top-heavy, with the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks the only teams on pace to win more than 46 games.
Thankfully for the Hawks, they have the perfect combination of assets to make a splash on the trade market and potentially acquire an impact player.
Atlanta is in line to receive first-round draft picks from the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings in 2025, and either the Milwaukee Bucks or New Orleans Pelicans in 2027. Each one of those assets will be viewed as valuable individually, let alone as potentially combined trade pieces.
If Atlanta were to pair one or even a combination of those picks with Capela's expiring $22,265,280 contract, they could bring a surplus of teams to the negotiating table.
More importantly, with that combination of assets, the Hawks would potentially be able to avoid giving up one of their young players for a starting-caliber veteran. The conversation becomes more complex if the goal is to land an All-Star, but the fact that Atlanta has the option to consider that route should say a great deal about what they could soon achieve.
If the Hawks manage the right trade, they could capitalize on a golden opportunity to immediately rise up the ranks of the Eastern Conference.