Every team in the NBA needs to manage their books. The salary cap applies to every organization. With that said, some teams around the league have a more dire need to save than others.
Take the Atlanta Hawks. This team is expensive. The Hawks have a lot of money on the books. Meanwhile, their performance doesn’t justify the cost.
You know what that means. The trade deadline is approaching, and the Hawks should be sellers. If they can add a large expiring contract to their books, they should. How about Gordon Hayward of the Charlotte Hornets?
NBA Trade Proposal
Charlotte Hornets Receive: F De’Andre Hunter, G Patti Mills
Atlanta Hawks Receive: F Gordon Hayward, 2028 First-Round Pick (Swap – CHA)
On the other hand, you’ve got to spend money to make money. Teams that hand out bad contracts don’t tend to be successful. Still, pinching pennies to avoid the luxury tax isn’t a viable way to build an NBA champion, either.
Have the Hornets been pinching pennies? We wouldn’t go that far. Still, it’s worth noting that Hayward’s deal is the only questionable contract they’ve had on their books in years. Recently, they moved off of Terry Rozier’s deal and received Kyle Lowry’s expiring contract in return.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Gordon Hayward, Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks Updates
Sure, LaMelo Ball is on a max contract. It would have been organizational malpractice to avoid extending him. Eventually, the Hornets will have to demonstrate a willingness to spend if they’re going to build a contender. Should they start by taking Hunter’s contract on?
Why The Charlotte Hornets Do The Deal
The Hornets aren’t just short of contenders. They’re one of the worst teams in the NBA. Unfortunately, that’s been a common theme for them during the Ball era.
With that in mind, some would argue that they ought to be sellers at the deadline. Perhaps. At the same time, the Hornets typically struggle to attract talent. If they could flip Hayward for a young player at a position of need, it might be worth attaching a future pick swap.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Gordon Hayward, Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks Updates
That’s what they’re doing here. Hunter is a young 3-and-D wing that this team could use. They shouldn’t mind taking on his deal if the Hornets could see him as part of their future. Should the Hawks trade Hunter?
Why The Atlanta Hawks Do The Deal
The Hawks are in a tough place. They have no chance of contending for the title. They’re expensive, and they’re light on draft capital.
This deal aims to solve both of those problems. Granted, a future swap isn’t a mountain of draft capital. Hunter is a role player on a large, long-term deal. This is likely his market value.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Gordon Hayward, Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks Updates
Yet, adding Hayward’s expiring should be equally important to the Hawks. This deal helps them clear a significant amount of cap space. That’s something that matters to every team in the NBA – but it counts a bit extra for the Hawks.
