The Atlanta Hawks reportedly are considering becoming sellers approaching the NBA trade deadline next month and could have interesting players to offer on the market.
Atlanta is considering becoming sellers at the deadline, per @JakeLFischer
“It sounds like the Hawks are truly considering the idea of being a real seller. Taking a step back and maybe even getting a couple extra lottery balls this year…" pic.twitter.com/jnDsqLWiED
— SleeperNBA (@SleeperNBA) January 6, 2024
The Hawks are 14-20 and in 11th place in the Eastern Conference – out of even a spot in the play-in round – entering their game at the Orlando Magic on Sunday. Atlanta has won two of its past three games but is coming off a 150-116 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday. It also had a recent four-game losing streak.
Entering the 2023-24 campaign, the Hawks were looking to take a step in the right direction after making the playoffs the past three seasons. Last season, they defeated the Miami Heat to advance out of the play-in round before losing to the Boston Celtics in a six-game first-round series.
Unfortunately, their first full season under head coach Quin Snyder hasn’t been very promising, leading to the idea that the Hawks could change course from a roster standpoint and retool for the future.
The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly have already been linked to Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, but one NBA insider said that such a deal may be unlikely for L.A.
Another report indicated that the only Atlanta players who are considered untouchable in trade talks are Trae Young and Jalen Johnson but that the Hawks are otherwise “certainly open for business.”
“The Hawks are certainly open for business, with plenty of long-term deals to be moved,” wrote NBA insider Jake Fischer. “Of late, Atlanta has informed numerous teams the only untouchable players on the Hawks’ roster are Young and rising third-year forward Jalen Johnson, sources said.”
The NBA has already had one significant trade this season prior to the deadline, with the New York Knicks acquiring O.G. Anunoby and two other players from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and a second-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers also remains a prominent name in the rumor mill, with conflicting ideas about his future. Some members of the Cavaliers organization reportedly have no idea why people think the team may trade the All-Star, but NBA teams reportedly believe that Cleveland will ultimately be forced to deal him away.
It’s the time of season when trade rumors will definitely be heating up, and there are plenty of teams to watch with the deadline upcoming.
