The Atlanta Hawks made their intentions loud and clear on Tuesday night, wheeling and dealing to acquire NBA champion and All-Star Kristaps Porzingis.
Atlanta gave up Terance Mann, the No. 22 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Georges Niang, and a future second-round pick in the deal that involved the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics.
The deal was a textbook example of being aware of when other clubs lack leverage. Boston was that team in this case. Saddled with sitting over the dreaded second apron of the salary cap, they were forced to shed salary. They’ve done it through trades of Jrue Holiday last night, and Porzingis in this deal.
For the Hawks, it’s hard not to see this move as one of controlled aggression. Following four straight seasons of oscillating between 36 and 43 wins (the most recent two including eliminations in the Play-In Tournament), the team is committing to build around franchise cornerstone Trae Young.
The Hawks' time may be now
And why not take a step forward? After the gruesome Achilles tears by stars Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum, and Damian Lillard, it’s fair to expect those teams to drop back in the standings a bit. The Orlando Magic already made a bold move for guard Desmond Bane, which might have set off an arms race in the conference.
When examining the other top contenders, the list has to start with the Cleveland Cavaliers, last year’s top seed and 64-game winners. That team’s profile comes with the question mark of not making a conference finals trip since LeBron James left after 2018. The next-highest team from last year’s standings, the New York Knicks, will be breaking in a new head coach.
Other young teams with less experienced stars like the Detroit Pistons (Cade Cunningham) and aforementioned Orlando Magic (Paolo Banchero) will be looking to surge forward and take advantage of the wide-open conference. It’s only right that Atlanta does the same while employing 26-year-old Trae Young.
The short of it? Atlanta has a chance to make their mark in the 2025-2026 season, and that started in earnest with this deal for Porzingis.
Looking ahead, the Hawks still own the No. 13 pick in tomorrow night’s draft, which is expected to be somewhat unpredictable after the top few picks. The team was linked to trading up, presumably to target a center. Duke’s Khaman Maluach, Maryland’s Derik Queen, and Georgetown’s Thomas Sorber are three of the top big men who could be available when Atlanta is on the clock. .