The trade deadline is just a few days away — February 9th at 3:00 PM Eastern — and the Hawks are set to be among the most active teams. Over the past few years, they’ve hung onto their core pieces despite a multitude of rumors surrounding nearly every player. I don’t expect that to be the case this time around. The Hawks are at a crossroads and standing pat doesn’t seem like an option. They aren’t going to totally blow things up yet, but moves must be made.
Hawks add to their perimeter defense
The latest rumor surrounding the Hawks is their interest in Matisse Thybulle. Thybulle brings one thing to the floor — defense. He’s one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, but offers next to nothing outside of that; however, that fits exactly what the Hawks need. Atlanta has no problem putting the ball in the basket, but they have struggled to stop teams from scoring, particularly on the perimeter. I would probably rather have a perimeter defender that’s better at shooting than Thybulle, given that’s also an area the Hawks need to get better at. But regardless, look for Atlanta to upgrade their perimeter defense at the trade deadline.
Bogdan Bogdanovic stays in Atlanta
There has been some chatter surrounding Bogdan Bogdanovic leading up to the trade deadline, and reportedly, “half the league is calling” the Hawks regarding his availability. Atlanta is in no position to shut down anything completely, but I don’t see a way that moving Bogdanovic improves this team. The Hawks already lack shooting, and he’s arguably the best shooter on the team. Bogdanovic is also a critical presence in the locker room. Unless the Hawks are strictly interested in saving money, which is a possibility, Bogdanovic should still be on the roster following the trade deadline.
John Collins finds a new home
The John Collins trade rumors have been going on for three years now. At this point, nearly every team in the Association has shown interest at some point or another. Unfortunately, his value has plummeted this season, as he’s averaging career lows in almost every statistical category. For that reason, I do think it’s probably best the Hawks just hold onto him and see if he can break out of this funk. However, that’s not what’s going to happen. Atlanta finally finds a deal that makes somewhat sense and pulls the trigger. I have a feeling it’s going to be underwhelming, but this feels like a situation that’s well past its boiling point, and the Hawks are desperate for a change. Whichever team ends up landing Collins will be very happy. He’s still a really good player, and moving him for pennies could spell the beginning of the end for the Hawks as they are currently constructed.
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