According to reports, the Hawks are monitoring the situation surrounding the Toronto Raptors Forward Pascal Siakam.
For nearly the entire offseason, the Hawks were considered among the favorites to land Siakam in a trade, but nothing came to fruition. The Raptors have reportedly been very tough to deal with in negotiations, and they ended up holding onto Siakam rather than dealing him at all.
However, that might change at some point before the trade deadline. The Raptors are nowhere close to being a competitive team, and they could once again be willing to continue trade talks with interested teams like the Hawks.
Atlanta is in a similar situation as the Raptors, treading water among the NBA’s average teams. They are a threat for a play-in spot every season, but nobody is considering them a legitimate contender. After trying to make moves this offseason, the Hawks essentially were forced to stand pat, and the results haven’t changed. This is the definition of a .500 basketball club, one that is desperate for a change.
After a slow start to the season, Pascal Siakam has really picked up his play of late, averaging 22.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists on 51.9% shooting over his last 11 games. I’m not sure how much better he makes the Hawks, and he’s also set to become a free agent at the end of the season. However, Atlanta can’t keep doing what they are currently doing.
The Hawks are in basketball hell, not good enough to compete seriously, and not bad enough to land a game-changing piece in the draft. A shakeup is needed, and while Siakam may not be the answer they are looking for, any change would be a breath of fresh air and has to be considered.
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