Why The Atlanta Hawks Do The Deal 

The Hawks’ rationale here is obvious. They get the best player in the trade. 

Moreover, the Hawks could really use Crowder. Realistically, to maximize Trae Young, you need to be a plus floor spacer and a plus defender. Crowder is both. 

Partly, those qualities are required to play alongside Young because he’s such a poor defender. The Hawks seemingly acknowledged that by bringing Dejounte Murray into the fold this summer.

On the other hand, he’s not a quality floor spacer. By adding Crowder, they could run a wider range of front-court lineups that allowed for five-out spacing to offset Murray’s weakness. 

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets & Phoenix Suns Updates

Plus, adding a strong, veteran 3-and-D wing never hurts a team with competitive aspirations. All told, this deal is a no-brainer for the Hawks if it’s on the table. 

Fans of the team should be hoping these rumors are based in reality.