ESPN names Hawks a winner of the offseason

The signings and trades of the NBA offseason are starting to become official this week, and the Atlanta Hawks have been dubbed by nearly ever national media outlet as one of the offseason’s winners, including at ESPN.

“This offseason, they made an opportunistic trade for Kristaps Porzingis, an injury risk but an inarguable ceiling raiser, who was available because of the Boston Celtics’ desire to dump salaries,” Zach Kram wrote. “(In the process, the Hawks also shed Terance Mann‘s negative contract — which they never should have acquired at the trade deadline — at the cost of a late first-round pick.) The Hawks emerged as victors in the Nickeil Alexander-Walker sweepstakes, and they replaced Caris LeVert, who left for Detroit, with Luke Kennard, the active leader in career 3-point percentage (43.8%).”

Kristaps Porzingis may prove to be the best teammate Trae Young has had to this point in his career. Porzingis fills the Hawks’ biggest need at the center position and could thrive in an offense featuring arguably the league’s best facilitator. His shooting also provides Atlanta with much-needed versatility in the frontcourt.

There are rightfully concerns about Porzingis’ injury history. He played in just 42 games with the Celtics last season and has not played in more than 65 games in a season since he was rookie. However, even if those issues persist in Atlanta, the Hawks can wipe their hands clean of the deal next offseason without any repercussions.

“Atlanta’s rotation now surrounds Young with Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Dyson Daniels; rangy, athletic wings in Alexander-Walker, Jalen Johnson and 2024 first overall pick Zaccharie Risacher; and plus defensive centers in Porzingis and Onyeka Okongwu,” Kram continued. “The Hawks haven’t finished a season with a defensive ranking better than 18th in Young’s career, but as long as they avoid too many minutes with a Young-Kennard backcourt, they’ll have a chance to be above average this season.”

On the surface, building a roster around Trae Young seems like a straightforward task. His elite playmaking is maximized when he’s surrounded by reliable three-point shooters. Yet, the Hawks have consistently failed to provide him with adequate spacing. Defensively, it should be just as simple — pairing a smaller guard like Young with length and perimeter defense is essential. But again, Atlanta has fallen short, leaving glaring holes on both ends of the floor.

That changed this offseason with the additions of Porzingis, Kennard, and Alexander-Walker. All three of the Hawks newest additions should accentuate the strengths of Trae Young, and as Kram notes, none of those additions were the best move of Atlanta’s offseason.

“And none of those transactions is even the best that Atlanta has completed this offseason. That would be the absolute heist the Hawks pulled on draft night, when they charged the New Orleans Pelicans an outrageous price to move up 10 spots, from No. 23 to 13. But the Pelicans paid it! And now the Hawks own the unprotected rights to the best pick between the Pelicans and Bucks next summer.

Given the Bucks’ continued uncertainty and the Pelicans’ weak standing in a loaded Western Conference, that pick is favored to land in the lottery.”

The Hawks draft night trade with the Pelicans threw the entire NBA world for a loop, with some even calling it one of the worst NBA trades of the last decade. All Atlanta had to do was move back 10 spots in the draft, and now they will almost certainly be picking in the lottery next year, given the uncertainty surrounding both the Pelicans and Bucks.

Furthermore, that pick would be incredibly valuable to the Bucks if Giannis Antetokounmpo eventually demands a trade out of Milwaukee, giving the Hawks a considerable leg up on the rest of the league in negotiations.

In just a couple of months since being named Atlanta’s new general manager, Onsi Saleh has completely changed the outlook of a Hawks franchise that once looked to have no future. They are now set up to compete in a wide open Eastern Conference, with an outlook that’s even more exciting for basketball fans in Atlanta.