NBA Analyst Poses Toughest Question For Atlanta Hawks Leading Up To The Trade Deadline

What are the Hawks big decisions going to be at the trade deadline next month?

Dec 26, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) dunks against the Chicago Bulls in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Less than one month from today will be the NBA Trade Deadline and there is still some uncertainty as to what will go down at the deadline. Star players like Jimmy Butler and Brandon Ingram have been talked about as players who could be dealt with, but it could end up just being smaller moves and rotation players that get moved. The Atlanta Hawks could actually be a team to watch when it comes to that. Last season, the Hawks were one of the most talked about teams leading up to the deadline, but there was a different feeling around that team. Whether or not Atlanta is a buyer or a seller at the deadline, this team has young building blocks to lean on going forward, but they have some roster questions that could get answered at the deadline.

The names that have been brought up in trade rumors over the past month or so have been centers Larry Nance and Clint Capela, as well as Bogdan Bogdanovic. Both players are on expiring deals and might not be a part of the team's future and Atlanta could look to flip one of them for assets. I would argue that is the biggest question that the Hawks are facing heading into the deadline, but Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes says the biggest question is if the Hawks can flip Nance for a backup point guard:

"Larry Nance Jr. would have been a sought-after commodity at the trade deadline if he hadn't fractured the fourth metacarpal bone in his right hand late last month. A switchable center who can pass and hit the occasional three is a rare commodity. Though not a star or starter, the Atlanta Hawks' big man certainly would have drawn interest at an expiring $11.2 million.

Maybe he still can.

The Hawks have played competitive ball all year and are in position to finish among the East's top six. They also don't have any incentive to tank because they don't control their 2025 first-rounder.

With the new CBA making teams all over the league extremely cost-conscious, perhaps Atlanta could wrangle a rotation player from a team that wants Nance's expiring money.

Tre Jones, T.J. McConnell and Tre Mann all profile as good additions to a team that could use another lead ball-handler."

Dec 26, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) shoots against the Chicago Bulls in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Going into the deadline, the Hawks have to figure out what to do with the two centers they have on expiring contracts and if they want to be buyers. They have two glaring needs at the backup point guard spot and backup power forward spots, but this team is not going to make any moves that are not forward thinking. The Hawks have been a nice surprise this season, but they are not going to make win-now moves to try and improve their record this year if it is not about the future. They have a core of Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Zaccharie Risacher that is going to be the future of the franchise. If they can find a player who fits that timeline, they could pursue them at the deadline.

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