The Atlanta Hawks may see what many fans do. That is that they have a significant need for a shot-blocking presence, specifically at the center position.
Unfortunately, the Hawks’ already unlikely path to a rumored trade target just got more complicated. That target is Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner, who NBA insider Jake Fischer says has drawn Atlanta’s attention.
Attention is all the Hawks may have on Turner, though.
Fischer wrote for The Stein Line on June 11 that the Hawks are “well positioned” financially and with assets to be a “potential factor” in the offseason transaction window.
“The Hawks … have been known to be conducting due diligence regarding players that could prove available to absorb via trade,” Fischer wrote for “The Stein Line” on June 11. “We’ve written a lot lately about interest in Indiana’s Myles Turner and should add that the Hawks, before the Pacers' run to the NBA Finals, previously had him in their sights as a player who might be a wise target in that price range via sign-and-trade.
“The more common leaguewide projections now, of course, are that Indiana and Turner are likely to come to terms on a new deal that pays him at least $30 million in average annual value, despite the expected interested from teams such as the Detroit Pistons and the Hawks.”
ESPN’s Shams Charania also reported that Turner is expected back in Indiana.
"The Indiana Pacers know they need to have Myles Turner back. They can't afford to lose him."@ShamsCharania says the Pacers are "prepared and expecting to pay the luxury tax" to keep Myles Turner 💰 pic.twitter.com/eAxs2FNcVJ
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 12, 2025
Turner is a quintessential 3-and-D contributor at the center position, and his skill set would perfectly complement Trae Young, save for the big man’s questionable (at best) rebounding.
Of note, the Hawks also ranked 11th in blocks per game but 29th in defended field goal percentage differential in 2024-25. Their issues with perimeter defense have also led to more shots at the rim, often times where their supposed paint protector is left holding the bag.
Hawks also well-positioned to see organic build through
The Hawks have Onyeka Okongwu, but he is more impactful offensively and in other ways on defense than he is at protecting the rim. Atlanta covered some of those deficiencies up, and well, with Mouhamed Gueye late in the season.
They should be even better with Okongwu playing alongside a healthy Jalen Johnson.
It would appear, however, that the Hawks also have their sights set on improving in key ways at the pivot.
That does not mean the solution has to be a starter. A player like Houston Rockets free agent Steven Adams would not address their rumored desires for rim protection, but he would bring physicality and is a force on the boards.
Unfortunately, for the Hawks, Adams is also expected back with his current team.
That trend does not only apply to players, with the Hawks joining the chorus line of teams that have rejected the New York Knicks’ request to interview their head coach.
Their best path forward could be the one they set out on this season, taking a patient approach with a roster that features a four-time All-Star in Young, who turns 27 in September, and several young, two-way wings.