Hawks HC Quin Snyder's future & 2 other X factors as Hawks host Raptors

Could the Atlanta Hawks lose head coach Quin Snyder? 

That is unlikely in a permanent sense. But the highly-regarded coach is among the candidates linked to the Australian Boomers vacancy.

“Anytime your name is mentioned with a national team – or, particularly, the Australian National Team – that’s flattering and an honor,” Snyder told reporters on January 22. “Right now, my focus is on on the Hawks, and what we're doing right now.”

Snyder leaned more into a part of the question about his playing days than the Boomers job.

“The search for the next head coach of the Australian Boomers has entered its next phase, with multiple high-profile candidates still in the mix for the program's top job,” ESPN’s Olgun Uluc wrote on January 22. “Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder is among those who advanced to the final stages of the selection process and is regarded as one of the frontrunners to succeed Brian Goorjian, sources told ESPN.”

While it would be quite an honor – and a pretty cool link for Snyder and Daniels as well as the Hawks who could forge an even stronger presence in the region – it should not have any bearing on Snyder’s standing with the Hawks.

Clint Capela OUT vs Raptors

The Hawks have dealt with health issues all season. Clint Capela had so far avoided them before today. 

Capela will miss Thursday’s tilt against the Toronto Raptors with “knee soreness.”

Capela, 30, was moved to the bench two games ago in favor of Onyeka Okongwu. The Hawks are 0-2 since the decision. Capela has been a popular speculative trade candidate and is on an expiring contract. He is also averaging less than a double-double for the first time since 2016-17.

His 9.5 PPG mark is his lowest since the 2015-16 campaign. The troubling part for the Hawks is that Capela has a history of knee issues. 

However, it is a minor concern in his first absence and on the second night of a back-to-back.

Trade deadline looms large

The Hawks are a team to watch as the trade deadline approaches. There are just two weeks to go, and their current standing has left them in the exact position many predicted for them coming into the season: middling.

How much will the context – i.e. injuries – factor into the front office’s thinking when the financial realities still hold?

Among the locks to remain in Atlanta? Jalen Johnson and Zaccharie Risacher.

Trae Young should also fall under that header. But after the rumors that swirled around last offseason, one can never be too sure. At the very least, the Hawks’ current situation could fuel further speculation about Young’s future.