The Atlanta Hawks have plenty of reasons to be competitive in 2024-25 rather than leaning into a rebuild (or the less abrasive sounding “retool”) with younger players.
They owe their first-round picks in 2025, 2026 (swap option), and 2027 to the San Antonio Spurs. That takes tanking out of the equation. The Hawks also still roster three-time All-Star Trae Young, who has made no secret about his desire to win and do so in Atlanta.
The onus is undoubtedly on the front office to put a proper supporting cast around him.
Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz suggests a trade proposal that aims to do just that with 2023 Most Improved Player Lauri Markkanen.
Proposed Hawks trade lands Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen
Swartz suggests sending Onyeka Okongwu, Kobe Bufkin, and Dyson Daniels – who was acquired in the Dejounte Murray trade – in a package with the 2025 first-round picks from the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings (top-12 protected) to the Utah Jazz for Markkanen.
“The Atlanta Hawks did the right thing by punting on the Dejounte Murray experiment. As a result, they now have some extra draft picks and young talent to play with,” Swartz wrote on July 17.
“Building a big, physical team around Young should be the goal.”
Markkanen is a true 7-footer who averaged 23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 39.9% from beyond the arc in 2023-24.
The No. 7 overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, he was an All-Star for the first time in 2023-24. He moves well for his size, can create offense for himself, and has logged minutes at small forward in addition to center and his usual power forward spot.
Markkanen is entering the final year of a four-year, $67.5 million contract.
He will count $18 million against the salary cap in 2024-25. The Jazz can extend him for four years and more than $200 million in August.
They are limited to an August 6 deadline for Markkanen to sign an extension and remain trade-eligible at the February 6 trade deadline. Even if an agreement is reached one day later (August 7), he will have to wait until the offseason if landing with another team is his true goal.
By all accounts, Markkanen is happy in Utah, and the Jazz plan to extend him.
His addition to the Hawks would create questions about the plan at center with Clint Capela in the final year of a two-year, $45.8 million contract ($22.2 million in 2024-25).
The Hawks would save $6.3 million in this scenario. Okongwu will earn $14 million in 2024-25 in Year 1 of a four-year, $61.9 million contract. Daniels has two years left on his four-year, $25 million rookie deal with a $6 million charge in 2024-25.
Bufkin is in Year 2 of a four-year, $19.8 million pact with a $4.3 million hit.
Markkanen’s next contract will likely make up the difference in those savings and then some, factoring into the final grade for this scenario.
Grade – B-: The Hawks’ uncertainty at center is compounded by this scenario that would also have them trading out of the highly-anticipated 2025 NBA Draft.