All-Star trade candidate proving Hawks GM Landry Fields made the right call

Some still believe the Atlanta Hawks are only biding their time before their next big move. 

However, Hawks general manager Landry Fields' options could be limited. The Hawks have little flexibility with their draft capital, and the available targets could be underwhelming.

One previously rumored potential candidate is Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, whom the Hawks viewed as a poor fit alongside Trae Young, in a potential Dejounte Murray trade. After eight games this season, Russell is proving the Hawks right for shying away from him.

Russell, an All-Star in 2018-19, is averaging a career-low 12.0 points per game.

He is also on track to post career-worst efficiency numbers, shooting 37.5% from the floor and 29.2% from beyond the arc.

Russell is a poor defender and more of a scorer than a distributor, which alone would not necessarily be detrimental next to Young. But Russell is also a streaky scorer whose shot selection leaves much to be desired.

Moreover, he will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.

“The Lakers and Hawks did have some pretty extensive conversations about a Dejounte Murray trade a couple of weeks ago,” ESPN’s Shams Charania said on “Run It Back” in January. “It was centered around D’Angelo Russell, a 2029 first-round draft pick, and a pick swap. I’m told the holdup was that Atlanta wanted to find a third team for D’Angelo Russell.

“They [Atlanta] want to find a spot where they might be able to get an expiring contract back.”

D'Angelo Russell's contract just another reason Hawks were right to avoid him

Russell is that expiring contract. But the most recent suggestion takes the Hawks in an entirely different direction. Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes listed Russell as a “realistic” trade target.

“This isn't about Russell and his expiring salary, specifically. He's just a logical part of the return Atlanta might hope to get from the Los Angeles Lakers if they trade Young. Ideally, Russell would come aboard in a package that also includes first-round assets and some matching salary,” Hughes wrote on November 5.

“Maybe you don't think Young belongs in any trade scenario, let alone realistic ones. But the last few years of intermittent speculation and the Hawks' current ‘caught in the middle’ predicament say otherwise.”

The Hawks currently own the Lakers’ 2025 first-round pick.

That came from their trade sending Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans. Atlanta could put themselves in a similar position as the Spurs by trading Young to LA.

That would be a nuclear option, though. And while the Hawks have endured injuries and some difficult losses, they are nowhere close to that level of panic. Russell still looks like he would be a poor fit next to Young.

Conversely, Dyson Daniels has looked like the perfect complement to Young.

His defense offsets his offense which is shakier than Russell’s. The Hawks rightly resisted agreeing to a package that included Russell for Murray. Landing Daniels and more instead is the cherry on top.