With the NBA trade deadline done and over with, the Atlanta Hawks came out swinging to improve their roster. The Hawks are currently one of the worst teams in the NBA with a record of 14-38. The team already has their young superstar in point guard Trae Young, and have key young players in forwards John Collins, Cam Reddish, and De’Andre Hunter.
It was no secret that the Atlanta Hawks are trying to rebuild around their All-Star point guard. Going into the trade deadline, Atlanta was looking to surround Young with talent. The highest need that the team was looking for was a starting center.
The first trade that Atlanta partook in was acquiring Houston Rockets center Clint Capela. This trade involved four teams.
The Atlanta Hawks acquired centers Clint Capela and Nene Hilario from the Houston Rockets. Clint Capela is on a four-year contract worth roughly 14 million per year. The team used this trade to lock in on a young center for a few years. In return, the team had to give up guard Evan Turner, their rights to the Nets 2020 first-round pick, and release forward Chandler Parson in the process.
Atlanta also traded for Sacramento Kings center Dwayne Dedmon. Atlanta would send over forwards Alex Len and Jabari Parker, to the Kings for Dedmon and two future second-round picks.
The final trade that Atlanta made was acquiring guard Derrick Walton Jr. from the Los Angeles Clippers for cash considerations and a second-round pick. Atlanta would also acquire center Skal Labissiere and cash considerations from the Portland Trail Blazers.
All together the Atlanta Hawks found themselves very busy in this year’s trade deadline. They revamped their roster immensely, filling out their biggest holes. Acquiring Clint Capela and Dwayne Dedmon should fix their center needs both at the starting position and backup position.
The Hawks were able to cut their salary by trading away Turners (16 million a year), Parker (20 million a year), and Parsons (22 million a year) contracts in a matter of 24 hours. The Hawks were able to keep their own pick in this year’s draft, which is projected to be a top three pick.
The acquisitions that the Hawks made were aimed at creating a brighter future. In the long run, Atlanta will be able to move forward and hopefully improve for the seasons to come. These deals were made to keep Young happy, as the front office and organization as a whole are trying to show their All-Star point guard that they are willing to win with him.
