The Atlanta Hawks had a disappointing season after an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021. Atlanta is expected to make many moves as they retool their roster around young star Trae Young.
Young is the cornerstone of the Hawks franchise, and the Hawks have the assets to put the right pieces around him. He had the best year of his career, averaging 28.4 points per game and 9.7 assists. He shot a career-high in field goal percentage (46 percent), three-point percentage (38.2 percent), and at the free-throw line (90.4 percent).
His play was tremendous, and the Hawks can retool around the 23-year-old star. Atlanta needs to look towards upgrading the defensive side of the ball. Young is a potent offensive player but is not a great defender. He is also 6’1”, which leads defenses often to target him through switches on pick-and-rolls or isolation opportunities.
Adding good defenders around him could transform the Hawks back to being a contender in the Eastern Conference.
With that said, here are two players the Hawks must trade in the 2022 NBA offseason.
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2 Players Hawks Must Trade
2. Bogdan Bogdanovic
The Hawks have a lot of money tied up to their core from the 2021 playoff run. Bogdan Bogdanovic was signed to a four-year $72 million deal in the 2020 NBA free agency. While Bogdanovic has been a quality role player at times, he is inconsistent.
Bogdanovic has one year left on his deal with a player option for the following season. Teams looking for another scoring option aside from their stars could be interested in acquiring the 29-year-old guard.
He averaged 15.1 points per game this season, but his shooting percentages dropped from his 2021 campaign. In 2021, Bogdanovic shot 47.3 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from three. However, this season, he only shot 43.1 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from behind the arc.
While he was still a solid contributor offensively for Atlanta, he is not an elite defender. Bogdanovic’s offensive inconsistency and not being a major defensive contributor makes him a tradeable asset for the Hawks.
The market for Bogdanovic would be there, but the question is what would they want in return. Atlanta could opt to get salary relief from a team or acquire a player that fits better around Young.
1. John Collins
John Collins has been in trade rumors over the past couple of seasons, and they’re at an all-time high. Collins has shown flashes of star potential, but he does not flourish in the Hawks situation.
Atlanta has been shopping the 24-year-old forward, and they are reportedly interested in getting into the draft lottery. The Portland Trail Blazers have been linked to Collins as they look to retool their roster around Damian Lillard. Portland holds the 7th overall pick in the draft, which could be enticing for the Hawks.
The CEO of the Hawks denied the Collins trade rumors, but you never know in the world of sports. Staff in a sports organization will often deny rumors of a player being on the move, as they do not want the team’s true intentions to be out in the media.
This also helps teams be a classier organization as they can inform the player if they are being traded, rather than hearing it from the media.
Nevertheless, don’t count Collins out as a trade chip for Atlanta.
The Hawks have some crucial decisions to make as they reconstruct their roster around Young. A great offseason could change the trajectory of Atlanta back to being a contender.
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