Atlanta Hawks

After advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2021 NBA Postseason, the Atlanta Hawks came falling back to Earth this season. They finished in ninth place, having to win two games in the NBA Play-In Tournament to advance into the field of eight. They were then matched up with the Miami Heat, who were too strong defensively for the Hawks to overcome.

Atlanta struggled to consistently create offense as Trae Young was taken out of the series. He finished with 30 turnovers in five games, which is more than the number of shots he made, which was only 22.

With Young struggling to create for himself or his teammates, things went off the rails quickly. The Atlanta Hawks’ defense has been an issue for years, but it was really their offense that let them down against Miami. While they should address their defense, they could look to soup up their offense, even more, this offseason.

Adding Bradley Beal to the backcourt alongside Young would create one of the most dynamic guard pairings in the NBA. Beal is more than capable of carrying an offense for stretches of time himself, taking some pressure off of Young. He can also run the offense, which would enable Young to play off the ball more, similar to what the Golden State Warriors have been able to do with Stephen Curry.

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Acquiring Beal wouldn’t help the Atlanta Hawks’ issues defensively, but it would make them an even more dangerous offensive team. Sometimes just leaning into your strengths is the best route to take, as Atlanta would be tough to keep up with in the scoring department.

Since they do not have cap space, this would likely have to be a sign-and-trade. Players such as John Collins, Danilo Gallinari, and Bogdan Bogdanovic would likely be on the table. Washington could have an interest in young center Onyeka Okongwu as well.