How This Trade Impacts Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks have to address their defensive needs this offseason. To acquire something of value, you need to part with something that has value as well. In this case, they are looking to address their needs by using John Collins.

Collins is sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for exactly what the Hawks are looking for. They need another player that can get after it on defense, specifically on the perimeter, and that player could be Lu Dort.

Dort handled the toughest defensive assignments this season and still produced despite underwhelming talent surrounding him and there is no rim protection to talk of. With the Hawks, he would Kevin Huerter and De’Andre Hunter as help with Clint Capela protecting the rim behind him as the last line of defense.

Kenrich Williams is another defensive-minded player in a 3-and-D mold. He is someone that contending teams were making calls on throughout the season, so the Hawks could flip him again should they want to. If not Atlanta has another solid rotation piece to add to their frontcourt.

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This Hawks-Mavericks Trade Features John Collins To Dallas

Derrick Favors is included to help match John Collins’ salary, as Dort and Williams make less than $4 million combined. Favors is owed $10.1 million, as the Thunder use some of their available cap space to absorb the remainder of Collins’ deal.

While the draft pick is top-five protected, it is likely to land in the lottery as the Clippers have the lowest odds at the No. 1 pick heading into the 2022 NBA Draft Lottery. Combined with their first-round pick, the Hawks will have the ammo to move up the draft board or make another deal to upgrade the roster further this offseason.