The Atlanta Hawks weren’t very active during the 2021 NBA offseason, but who could blame them? They were coming off of a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals and wanted to run things back with the same players, so they did.
The results during the 2021-22 season were not nearly as positive. The Hawks finished the season 43-39, hosting the Charlotte Hornets in the first game of the NBA Play-In Tournament.
They won that game before defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers, earning a spot in the postseason and a matchup against the Miami Heat.
Atlanta was handled with ease by the Heat, as their season came to a screeching halt in the first round of the playoffs. Not looking to have a repeat of that, the Hawks are coming into this offseason with a different mindset.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Atlanta Hawks Emerging As Serious Threat For Rudy Gobert Trade
They are looking to shake things up and upgrade the roster. The Hawks are emerging as a serious trade partner for Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, but to acquire something, you have to be willing to pay something as well.
What are the Atlanta Hawks willing to offer? It sounds like pretty much anything outside of Trae Young and De’Andre Hunter, who they plan on extending this offseason.
“In ongoing trade chatter around the league, Atlanta was believed to have made all players besides Trae Young available, but sources told B/R the team is now expected to retain De’Andre Hunter and agree to terms on a long-term contract extension.”
That is certainly a sizable shake-up. While some players will be back, Atlanta making everyone except two players available for trade means they are serious about making some changes to their roster this offseason.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Atlanta Hawks Emerging As Serious Threat For Rudy Gobert Trade
It makes sense that the Atlanta Hawks want to retain Hunter as he is the exact kind of player they need to surround Trae Young with. He is a capable 3-point shooter that showed during the postseason he can be relied upon as a go-to scorer. Hunter is also a versatile defender, something the Hawks could use more of.
Even if Atlanta is unable to land Gobert, expect them to continue shopping around for players that will help them upgrade the roster and get back to the Eastern Conference Finals.
