The Atlanta Hawks were quite active at the trade deadline, yet fans may still feel underwhelmed.
The team executed five midseason trades, beginning with Trae Young in January and ending with Luke Kennard on Thursday morning. If we frame the moves as one collective trade, we have:
Incoming (ranked in order of long-term value to ATL):
- Corey Kispert
- CJ McCollum
- Buddy Hield
- Jonathan Kuminga
- Gabe Vincent
- Jock Landale
- Three second round picks (2027, 2030, 2032)
- Duop Reath (waived)
Outgoing
- Trae Young
- Kristaps Porzingis
- Vit Krejci
- Luke Kennard
- Cash considerations
It’s understandable why some fans are irate at the handling of this deadline. Young and Porzingis are far more valuable than any player Atlanta received in return, and the team didn’t get a single first round pick. Barreling full steam ahead towards a fifth-straight Play-In appearance, fans want to see change.
What these fans miss, however, is that this deadline was indeed a significant change.
Hawks took the necessary first step to a minor rebuild
Overall grade: B-
I give the Hawks a B- for their deadline maneuvers – the team is better off than they were before, but no single move was a home run.
To explain the rationale, let’s go trade by trade.
Trae Young for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert: C+
This move was not exactly the ideal return for Young, but clearly, the rest of the NBA was not interested in the Oklahoma product. McCollum is on an expiring deal, and Kispert has been surprisingly productive in a Hawks uniform.
The Hawks cleared up $35 million in cap space with this move, taking them from ~$10 million over to ~$15 million under the salary cap. Kispert seems like a long-term component of Atlanta’s bench. While this is underwhelming, it allowed the club to fully commit to the Jalen Johnson era. It’s worth noting that executives around the league also viewed this trade as a win for ATL.
Vit Krejci for Duop Reath and two second round picks: B+
Vit Krejci is good, but he is redundant on this team – Kispert’s addition had sequestered him to the end of the rotation, even with Zaccharie Risacher sidelined.
With Risacher back, Krejci would have been out of the rotation entirely. To salvage two seconds for a borderline rotation player is a shrewd maneuver from the Hawks. Reath was simply a salary filler, and the club promptly waived him.
Cash considerations for Jock Landale: A+ (low impact)
The Hawks got a center for free. That’s the rationale. Atlanta’s weak interior presence has been its Achilles heel all season.
Landale is a flawed player, but he is indeed a center. Acquiring a stretch five with interesting potential is again a win, even if it doesn’t exactly move the needle for this Hawks team.
Kristaps Porzingis for Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield: C+
Porzingis wasn’t playing; Kuminga and Hield will play. With this in mind, this trade almost certainly made the Hawks a better team.
Kuminga is an interesting prospect on a potentially expiring deal. I would caution against any long-term contract offer for Kuminga, but he was, at one point, a promising young small forward. His career isn’t over yet; perhaps he can find a new groove after a much-needed change in scenery.
Hield is a fun player who is guaranteed only $3 million next season. If he pans out, perhaps the Hawks can flip him next season. If he doesn’t, oh well – Atlanta can cut him and move on with minimal consequences.
This is a low-risk, high-reward move from Atlanta. Porzingis wasn’t going to drag this team into the playoffs regardless, and Atlanta gets two chances to flip potentially valuable wing assets.
Luke Kennard for Gabe Vincent and a second round pick: B-
Kennard simply isn’t a very impactful player. Despite holding the active record for career three point percentage, he finished his Atlanta tenure shooting the 13th-most 3pt attempts per 100 possessions on the team. Even worse, DARKO, the league’s most trusted advanced stat, sees him as a negative offensive player. What’s the point of a sharpshooter who doesn't shoot and decreases the team’s overall offensive output?
To get a second for Kennard is highway robbery. Vincent has struggled mightily this season, but if the previous four trades didn’t paint a clear enough picture, Atlanta is punting on this year. Both Kennard and Vincent will expire this offseason, so acquiring a second for a player halfway out the door is a solid value proposition.
Again, this deadline wasn’t a home run. But it put Atlanta in a position where they could swing for the fences. After they receive the 2026 NOP/MIL pick, the Hawks could be in a great spot to make a trade and be serious playoff threats.
Atlanta just needs one of these trades to pan out for this to be a massive win. This could come in the form of a breakout from Kispert, Kuminga, Hield, Landale, or an excellent selection with their newly acquired seconds. If the Hawks can catch just one lucky break, they could be on a roll this time next season.