When is the NBA trade deadline and how it affects the Atlanta Hawks

The NBA trade deadline is here and the Atlanta Hawks could be one of the teams to watch today

Dec 19, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder on the sideline against the San Antonio Spurs in the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

It is officially deadline day in the NBA.

We are now past midnight and the NBA trade deadline is in a matter hours. The Hawks have made three trades already ahead of the deadline. The headliner was when they sent Trae Young to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, then earlier this week, they sent Vit Krejci to the Portland Trailblazers for Duop Reath (who is out for the season) and two second round picks. Today, they made their third deal by sending cash considerations to the Utah Jazz for Jock Landale.

Is there more to come? Landale is a nice player on a minimum contract, but he would be best fit as the third center on the team. Atlanta could also use more perimeter defensive help.

The Hawks could be one of the teams to watch over the next 15 hours. They have big expiring deals in Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard to move around if they choose to do so and have plenty of draft picks as well.

When is the trade deadline?

The NBA trade deadline is today at 3:00 p.m. ET. It will be the final day to make any trades for an NBA team to change their roster until the offseason and as the old saying goes, deadlines spur action. Teams will be gearing up for playoff runs, trying to move off money, and making other sorts of deals to improve or set their team up for future success.

How does it affect the Hawks?

The Hawks have a number of expiring contracts which could be appealing to teams and what they do with them today will dictate their plans for the summer.

If the Hawks elect to keep Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kennard, and CJ McCollum past today's deadline, they will have more than $70 million in expiring contracts to come off the books this offseason. That would give them space to make big moves in free agency to improve their team.

If the Hawks deal either of these three players, they could be taking on longer term money that could erase that flexibility this summer. Atlanta's Onsi Saleh has maintained that he wants to have optionality as a team and the Hawks focus is on the long term plans around Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Onyeka Okongwu, and the upcoming draft pick in June, which could end up as the No. 1 pick thanks to a brilliant trade with the New Orleans Pelicans.