1. Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA this season. After making a surprise run all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, they could miss the postseason altogether this year.

Atlanta is currently in 12th place in the Eastern Conference and has some work to do to even qualify for the NBA Play-In Tournament. As was the issue last season, the Hawks are struggling on the defensive end.

The Hawks have been without De’Andre Hunter again, which certainly won’t help their defense. Schematically they have some holes as well, as their offensive game plan will often leave the court unbalanced when transitioning to defense.

Adding a player like Marcus Smart to the mix would help them turn things around on that end of the court. Atlanta is an elite offensive team, but all the success they have on that end is mitigated by how poor they are defensively.

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Transition defense has been their true Achilles heel, as they get burned on live-ball turnovers and sometimes struggle even getting back on made baskets. Having another player that is above average on that end of the court in Smart would be a boon for the team.

Smart would be a good long-term pairing alongside Trae Young, with who the team is forced to cross-match. Atlanta had an interest in Smart last season and it would not be surprising if they checked in on him again.