NBA Insiders Give New Trade Intel For Atlanta Two Months Away From The Trade Deadline

At this point last season, Atlanta was the talk of the league, but for the wrong reasons. All of the chatter around the Hawks was around the trade deadline and what they would do with the pairing of Dejounte Murray and Trae Young, as well as the rest of the team. Now, things have changed.

The Atlanta Hawks are the talk of the NBA right now. They have won seven of their last eight games, which have included two wins over the Knicks, one being in the NBA Cup Quarterfinal on Wednesday, a road win in Boston, two wins over the Cavaliers, and a win over the Lakers. They face the Milwaukee Bucks tomorrow afternoon in the biggest game of their season and with a win they would clinch a spot in the NBA Cup Finals on Tuesday against either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Houston Rockets. This is a young team that is playing team basketball right now and they are catching the eye of everyone around the NBA, including a lot of national media.

So what will the trade deadline look like for the Hawks this year? That is still a question, even with the team playing well. ESPN insiders Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst discussed this in an article released today and here is what Bontemps had to say:

“The Hawks are excited about their young quartet of players to build around: Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu and the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA draft, Zaccharie Risacher.

But given where the Hawks are, once again in the play-in race, if teams begin calling about their veterans, sources said, Atlanta will listen. The Hawks are flirting with the luxury tax this season, but once Clint Capela’s expiring $22 million contract comes off the books after this season, there will be a lot more flexibility for Atlanta to play with to fill out its roster — in addition to clearing an unimpeded path for Okongwu into the starting five.

The one player opposing teams are curious about, specifically, is guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, who is a proven commodity as a scorer and shooter with a contract that, even within the current constraints, is movable at $17.6 million this year, $16.2 million next year and has a team option for the same amount the following season.”

Instead of trade talk, WIndhorst spoke positively about the leadership role that Trae Young has taken this season with the Hawks and how it has impacted them:

“Late in the summer, after the Olympics, Hawks star point guard Trae Young flew Daniels and Risacher out to his offseason home in Oklahoma for a multiday training and bonding session, sources said. It was greatly appreciated by the young new teammates and formed the foundation for building a relationship with two cornerstones of the future in Atlanta.

Over the past two years it was an open secret the Hawks had some chemistry issues within the team, and it affected the working relationship between Young and Dejounte Murray, who was traded in the offseason to New Orleans for a package that included Daniels. Hawks officials have been working with Young — who can be a bit of an introvert, teammates have noticed over his career — on his leadership and relationship-building skills. It’s still a work in progress, but Young is becoming better at it, team sources said, and it’s been one of the many positives for the Hawks this season.

Young is leading the NBA in assists at 12.2 a game and has hit double figures in them in nine of his past 11 games, including Wednesday’s upset win in New York that got the surging Hawks to Las Vegas for Saturday’s NBA Cup semifinals.”

While the Hawks are still young and figuring things out, they have some big wins on their resume this year and could be a dangerous team down the stretch. They are in a different position than a year ago when it comes to the trade market, but will still be a team to keep an eye on.

Knicks Superstar Responds To Trae Young’s Dice Rolling Celebration On New York’s Logo

Trae Young’s Viral Celebration At End Of Hawks Upset Win Over the Knicks Had The NBA World Buzzing

RECAP: Hawks Take Down Knicks and Punch Ticket to NBA Cup Semifinals in Massive 107-100 Victory