As the Hawks wrap up the regular season and prepare for the play-in, all eyes are focused on the immediate task at hand. Atlanta finished with an extraordinarily middling 41-41 season, among many other league-average metrics.
The season was always a wash once the club moved on from Nate McMillan and Travis Schlenk. The results of the play-in and potential subsequent playoffs shouldn’t be held against the current regime. This summer will likely come with sweeping personnel changes, both on the coaching staff and roster.
The makeup of the team isn’t working. After pulling the trigger on a blockbuster trade to land Dejounte Murray, giving Trae Young the first All-Star teammate of his career, expectations were sky-high for the Atlanta Hawks. To say the season was a disappointment would be an understatement. The roster has strong bones, but changes are on the horizon, including possibly trading their All-NBA superstar Trae Young.
According to a report from the Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, ownership has given the front office the green light to do whatever it wants with the roster. First-time general manager Landry Fields and assistant Kyle Korver will spearhead that front, but new head coach Quin Snyder will undoubtedly have a say in any personnel decisions. Per O’Connor, Snyder “demanded—and now wields—significant influence” over those decisions.
“With the offseason approaching, league sources say the Hawks’ front office has the green light from ownership to do whatever it wants to with the roster, which includes considering trade opportunities involving All-Star point guard Trae Young,” O’Connor said.
The Atlanta Hawks organization is as dysfunctional as any in professional sports. Tony Ressler has turned the basketball club into a laughingstock of the NBA; fans shouldn’t have any faith in this group going forward. I don’t think the Hawks will trade Trae Young unless he demands one, but this is the NBA, superstars bouncing from team to team is commonplace.
Quin Snyder seems to be pro-Trae; his opinion should probably carry the most weight, but as we’ve seen before, Tony Ressler’s reach goes far beyond just signing checks. There’s no telling what this team is going to do this offseason.
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Photographer: Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire
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