The Atlanta Hawks are all in next season. This is because one player has stepped up, not a young person.
The Atlanta Hawks are one of the most active teams this offseason. After years of success, the Hawks decided to invest in their side.
The Hawks’ first big move was the Christapsporzingis trade. Replacing the coming Clint Capella with former All-Stars and Champions is a big statement of intent.
The Hawks also secured Nickaile Alexander Walker on a sign-and-trade deal to add depth to the backcourt.
Looking ahead, the Hawks traded down next season using the #13 pick to secure an unprotected first round pick.
I think many fans are trying to convince the Hawks to stay in these moves. However, it appears that the great performance of another young star last season encouraged them even more.
Keith Smith of Spotrac recently spoke to several NBA teams and front offices. When discussing their moves with the Atlanta Hawks, one anonymous executive shed light on their thought process.
He revealed that Zaccharie Risacher’s great performance as a rookie played a major role in investing in their side. Risacher’s development has instilled confidence in the team to compete.
“The majority of the reasons we were willing to add a guy to move forward was the play of Zaccharie Risacher. From Christmas, he was fantastic.
“If you look at the statistics, you can see how good he was after Christmas…
“We know what Trae (Young) and Jalen (Johnson) are. Dyson (Daniels) has become a major player. But Zaccharie has given us the confidence to add to the roster.”
The anonymous Hawks executive also erupted on the team’s move this offseason. He claimed they have one of the best offseasons in the NBA and are ready to compete next season.
“It feels like we have one of the best offseasons in the entire league. I know it’s confident, but we got Christaps (Porzingis) on the trade and signed Nickaire (Alexander Walker) and Luke (Kenard). Did you add three other players?
“These are big players who meet all the needs we need for us. We’ll be deep and truly versatile next season. We don’t expect any kind of group, but they don’t have any artificial restrictions either.”
The Hawks will likely target the next Tray Young contract to expand. The former All-Star Guard is eligible to win a four-year, $222 million extension.
However, the new CBA and the accompanying financial restrictions may make the Hawks seek to offer him a smaller contract. In the way they built around him, Young might agree to give them the best chance to compete in the future.