The Atlanta Hawks are a team that is going to be looking to make some big changes to their roster this NBA offseason. After advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, the front office decided to run it back and retain everyone from that team. It proved to be the wrong decision.
Atlanta didn’t come close to replicating that level of success. They had to win two games in the NBA Play-In Tournament just to qualify for the playoffs. That earned them a matchup with the No. 1 seed Miami Heat, who took care of business rather easily.
With their offseason preparations underway, we have learned a little bit about what the Hawks are planning. General manager Travis Schlenk made it clear that they would not have a repeat of last season, which likely means they will shake things up in the coming weeks.
Delon Wright is the only free agent of theirs that they will likely pursue when it comes to re-signing. He is a good fit in the backcourt as a complement to Trae Young or as the backup point guard.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRDAE RUMORS: This Hawks-Pistons Trade Lands Jerami Grant In Atlanta
After that, most of the Hawks’ business will likely come via trade. John Collins, Danilo Gallinari and Bogdan Bogdanovic have been mentioned in trade rumors previously and likely will be again in the coming weeks.
Who do the Hawks have their eyes on? According to Marc Stein via his Substack, Jerami Grant of the Detroit Pistons is who they are highly interested in. That should come as a surprise to no one.
Grant’s two-way play is something Atlanta could use more of. Their defense needs a boost and he would provide it with his versatility. He can defend wings and forwards with success and even provides the Hawks with a small-ball center option should Nate McMillan want to deploy such an alignment.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRDAE RUMORS: This Hawks-Pistons Trade Lands Jerami Grant In Atlanta
Jerami Grant has shown that he can be a go-to player offensively as well. Everything on that end of the court runs through Young, but maybe the Atlanta Hawks would benefit from having another player that can create offense for himself, as Grant proved he can be a No. 1 option with the Pistons.
What would the Detroit Pistons be looking for in return? Rumored to be in the market for a center, they could start the asking price at Onyeka Okongwu, who will be entering his third season in the NBA and looks ready for an expanded role. Bogdanovic or Gallinari would fill their need for another scorer. The 16th pick would also likely be included in the package.
