Hawks Trade Deadline Central

1 Comment / Hawks / By /
dhz191118077 okc vs lac

Unsurprisingly, at 13-37, the Hawks are in the thick of a lot of trade conversations. What’s more surprising is some of their desired targets. Atlanta doesn’t seem interested in just trading away their veterans for some second-round selections or potentially a highly-protected first-round pick. They are looking to get better now, searching for a big-man to patch up their most substantial need. Up until Thursday’s trade deadline, you’ll be hearing names attached to the Hawks profusely, and this is the best place to help you sort through the mess.

Hawks complete four-team blockbuster, landing Clint Capela

 

The Hawks have been looking for a true big-man that can protect the rim and clean the glass for months now. They’ve been linked to Steven Adams, Dewayne Dedmon, a litany of others, and most recently, Clint Capela. And less than 48 hours before the trade deadline, they finally completed a deal, except it won’t go down as the most straightforward transaction.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Hawks, Rockets, Timberwolves, and Nuggets have successfully agreed upon a four-team trade that will send Clint Capela and Nene to Atlanta.

The best part about this agreement is that it doesn’t include John Collins, who has been rumored to be on the trading block by many. Atlanta’s major contribution to the trade will be the Nets protected first-round 2020 pick. To many teams, that may be a valuable commodity. But for the Hawks, who are already littered with young talent and will probably have a top-five pick of their own in this year’s draft, it was easy to part ways with.

Capela is averaging nearly 14 points and 14 rebounds this season. He fills the Hawks’ most glaring need at the center position and should allow Collins to slide over to his more natural power forward spot full-time.

For those of you wondering if this trade puts Collins’ future with Atlanta in jeopardy, I wouldn’t say so. It would make the most sense for the Hawks to see how these two can co-exist before trading the second-most valuable player on their roster. Capela is under contract for the next three seasons at a reasonable rate and should make the rest of this year much more watchable for Hawks fans.

Hawks trade Jabari Parker, Alex Len to Kings for Dewayne Dedmon and picks

 

We all knew the Hawks were looking for help at the center position, but most assumed the work was done when Atlanta acquired Clint Capela late Tuesday evening. That was not the case. The Hawks quietly made another acquisition on Wednesday night, doubling down at center by acquiring Dewayne Dedmon and two second-round picks from the Sacramento Kings for Jabari Parker and Alex Len:

The Hawks loved Dedmon and the veteran presence he brought to the team over the last two seasons. There seemed to be mutual interest in a return last offseason, but the Kings made him too big an offer to refuse. However, things did not go as planned in Sacramento, and Dedmon publicly requested a trade, which he was later fined for. Atlanta had reportedly expressed interest in reacquiring Dedmon, but the asking price was said to be too high. However, they appear to have gotten their guy back in a buzzer-beater deal at the deadline.

Jabari Parker started off the season hot and looked like he could be one of the steals of free agency. However, his play waned throughout the year, and the injury bug stirred back up for him. He has not played in over a month but seems to be nearing a return. Parker has a player option worth $6.5 million for next season, and his play going forward will likely dictate whether he decides to opt back into that deal. I thought the Hawks might like to have him on the bench next season, but this trade signals they may have thought he was going to opt-out in the offseason.

As for Len, he is a quality NBA role player but struggled as a starter when called upon for Atlanta. He is on an expiring contract, and there is simply no room for him on the roster with both Capela and Dedmon coming to town.

The good news is that while Dedmon did get a rather large contract from the Kings, it is only guaranteed through next season. The Hawks have made it evident how much they value what he has to offer to the team, and also get to take away two second-round picks. They patched up their most glaring need and gave away no pieces from their young core to do so.

Welcome back, Dewayne. We are excited to see you back in a Hawks uniform.

 

Hawks have no interest in trading John Collins, or do they?

 

Despite teams inquiring on John Collins, Zach Lowe of ESPN reported yesterday that the Hawks have no interest in trading Collins to any of the teams that have reached out. However, according to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Conner, Atlanta is considering moving John Collins. They don’t want to spend north of $20 million annually — which is what Collins will fetch in free agency — on a player that is such a liability defensively. They would rather have a cheaper, more traditional big man that can defend the paint, rebound, and catch lobs from Trae Young.

Hawks may not be done just yet

 

Per Keith Smith, the Hawks are not done just yet with the trade deadline just hours away. They plan on using their two open roster spots to haul in more assets, and reportedly are willing to take on 2020-21 salary to do so:

Hawks acquire Derrick Walton, not expected to keep him

 

The Hawks reportedly acquired Derrick Walton of the Los Angeles Clippers for cash, per Adrian Wojnarowski:

Per The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner, the Hawks are not expected to hold onto him:

1 thought on “Hawks Trade Deadline Central”

  1. Pingback: Hawks Trade Deadline Central – sportstalkatl.com – SuperMag

Scroll to Top
%d bloggers like this: