The Atlanta Hawks are preparing for an offseason full of adjustments to take their ascending young core to the next level. There's reasonable doubt that they'll engage in too many wild trade discussions, but when the perfect target becomes available, it's hard to believe General Manager Onsi Saleh will just sit on his hands.
It's no guarantee that the Dallas Mavericks will entertain calls for star guard Kyrie Irving, but in the event that they do, it almost makes too much sense for the Hawks to engage. Irving is everything they're looking for in terms of addressing their biggest weaknesses.
Irving would be an incredibly seamless fit into what Atlanta's building
He's certainly not young, but he would give the Hawks exactly what they need at the guard position. Of all the many weaknesses exposed by the New York Knicks in their first-round series, the most prevalent was their inability to manipulate defenses in the halfcourt when games got broken down.
Irving's a quick player, as well, and has plenty of experience dominating in transition. Atlanta's at their best when they're out and running, but they clearly don't have a go-to option in late-game scenarios. That might fly in the regular season, but the playoffs are a different animal.
His experience is a non-negotiable, as well. In 14 seasons, he's made the playoffs seven times, collecting multiple NBA Finals appearances and one ring. For a young Atlanta team that was killed by their inexperience, they could lean on Irving for mentorship while slowly jumping into contention.
While it's too early to tell, he likely wouldn't come at a ridiculous price either. Dallas hired Masai Ujiri as their lead decision-maker, and he hasn't wasted any time parting ways with those in the organization who aren't a part of his long-term vision.
The Hawks should absolutely go after Irving if the price is right
He's set to make just under $40 million next season, with a player option for the year after. As long as Atlanta doesn't have to part with significant draft capital and young assets when acquiring him, there's no reason not to take a low-risk flyer on a player of his caliber.
Ujiri's vision may be geared towards starting fresh and fully committing to building around Cooper Flagg. If Irving isn't on their immediate timeline, there may not be too much of a reason to keep him around while they go into a full-scale rebuild.
A backcourt of Kyrie Irving and Nickeil Alexander-Walker would be one of the deadliest duos in the league, giving them a perfect combination of defense and offense as they aim for contention in the Eastern Conference as early as next season.
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