Hawks miss out on 4-time All-Star running mate for Trae Young after Knicks trade

The Atlanta Hawks could have added a four-time All-Star big man to the roster. Training camp is just days away and the Atlanta Hawks were nearly involved in a big splash after the New York Knicks contacted them about Julius Randle.

New York traded Randle to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns instead.

They are also including the Charlotte Hornets as a third team in the deal to make the money work, leaving the Hawks holding the bag.

“Detroit, Atlanta, Miami among the other teams NYK talked to about trades of Julius Randle,” per SNY sources," SportsNet New York’s Ian Begley reported on X on September 27. "MIN slashes its future payroll by acquiring Randle, who can be an FA this summer. Knicks get big man they’ve long had on radar in Karl Towns.”

Hawks miss out on Karl-Anthony Towns trade

The Knicks sent Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a future first-round pick from the Detroit Pistons to the Timberwolves for Towns, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania on September 27. They also sent Daequon Jefferies to the Hornets as part of the deal.

This deal has ramifications for the Hawks beyond apparently passing on Randle. The lost out on Towns, a notable plotline after they refrained from pulling the trigger on a deal for Pascal Siakam.

They also lose a potential trade partner for Capela, who has been a trade rumor staple.

“The Knicks were canvassing the league this week in search of center improvements, sources said, and made it known Julius Randle was available,” Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reported on X after the trade went down. “While New York had interest in additions like Clint Capela, Karl-Anthony Towns is one hell of an answer to Mitchell Robinson’s injury.”

Robinson is still recovering from foot surgery and is expected to be out until December or even January. Capela would have been a solid early-season replacement for the Knicks, who have championship aspirations.

Potential Hawks-Knicks trade made little sense

Randle did not make sense for the Hawks. They have Jalen Johnson at power forward and added several bodies on the perimeter to keep a move like that for the rising star off the table.

He would have been redundant with Johnson, anyway, possessing a similar multi-faceted game. 

DiVincenzo’s 3-and-D skillset fits anywhere, and the Hawks have tried to load up on perimeter defenders this offseason. The biggest miss of this deal, though, -- outside of a strong conference rival getting stronger -- is Towns, who would have been a dynamic pivot to pair with Trae Young.

That is the piece the Hawks have not had and something that could help the Hawks unlock another level for Young.

He is not calling for anything specific, though.

“I've played with Clint, I've played with Dewayne Dedmon. He's a little bit older now. But I was hitting him for pick-and-pops my rookie year and second year. I'm averaging 8.0, 9.0 assists with Alex Len picking-and-popping and short rolling. They don't have to be dynamic. But then I also have a John Collins, who's catching lobs. I have a Kevin Huerter with Bogi [Bogdan Bogdanovic] shooting threes. I can really [play with] any type of player,” Young said on “Podcast P” in August.

“Obviously, we all have deficiencies. So I'm smaller so obviously, a bigger guard, obviously, – bigger players – would, obviously, make the game easier for me and and everybody else too.”