How This Trade Works For Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are going to have some tough decisions to make in the coming years when it comes to how to spend their money. They have a lot of talented, young players that are up for extensions soon. Knowing they cannot keep them all, they will have to pick and choose who to keep.
Right now, those keepers are Trae Young and John Collins. In time, that could change. In this scenario that Zach Brinkley discusses, Collins turns into a redundant player on the roster and is someone Atlanta looks to deal away.
This is a route the Hawks could very well take. Clint Capela signed a contract extension of his own this offseason and the team selected Onyeka Okongwu in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft. De’Andre Hunter could be a long-term piece at power forward and Danilo Gallinari is still on the roster as well.
As with this hypothetical trade with the Celtics, parting ways with Collins can balance out the team’s roster. Marcus Smart is exactly the kind of player they need to round out the team. He is a hard-nosed, defensive-minded player that can help take some of the ball-handling and playmaking responsibilities off of Young’s shoulders.
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This is a deal that will also cut down on the Hawks’ bill. Kicking an extension down the line is why the team was considering trading Cam Reddish this offseason. Dealing John Collins would accomplish something similar, bringing back a cheaper contract in Smart and acquiring more cost-controlled assets in young players or picks.
There is some sense to this deal for the Hawks, but how does it look for Boston? Let’s take a look at it from their perspective.
