Why The Atlanta Hawks Do The Deal

By now, it’s worth noting that the Atlanta Hawks appear to have been trying to deal John Collins for some time. They don’t seem that high on him.

Of course, they’d likely prefer to clear cap space in a Collins trade. This deal doesn’t help in that regard. In fact, Randle’s contract is almost identical.

Still, this deal should intrigue the Hawks. Randle is a somewhat confusing player at the moment. He was All-NBA in 2020-21, but he was on the unofficial All-NBA Disappointment team in 2021-22.

If he returns to his 2020-21 form, the Hawks will dramatically improve next year. He’d also alleviate some of the fit concerns between Murray and Young, as he was an elite floor-spacer in 2021-22.

LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: 3 Late Offseason Moves For New York Knicks To Consider

If the Hawks get last year’s version of Randle, that would be unfortunate. On the other hand, they should still be able to find a trade for him in the future, and they’ll at least have an additional first-round pick at their disposal. After the Murray deal, they should be happy to restock their cupboard a little.