Why the Hawks' Biggest Trade Deadline Need Might Not Be What People Expect

Adding a center would make a lot of sense for the Hawks, but it's not the only need on their roster that could use a major upgrade.

Jan 21, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Vit Krejci (27) drives to the basket during the second quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The NBA trade deadlie is rapidly approaching and the Atlanta Hawks seem poised to make a move.

As of February 5th, 2026, NBA teams will be banned from making further trades. Activity will likely ramp up closer to the 5th, but there are certainly active trade discussions going around and one of the more relevant ones has been linking the Atlanta Hawks to center help.

Before he got injured, the Hawks were described as one of the two teams most interested in acquiring Anthony Davis from the Mavericks. They've switched their tune in recent days - NBA insider Jake Fischer's recent report suggests that the Hawks are no longer targeting Davis this deadline.

"In recent days, both the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors — teams previously described as the most ardent Davis suitors — have been signaling that they are no longer involved in significant trade talks with the Mavericks. The interest in Davis has seemed to cool since last week’s announcement that the 32-year-old will be sidelined for at least six weeks due to ligament damage in his left hand.”

Since Davis doesn't seem to be an option for the Hawks anymore, centers like Goga Bitazde of the Orlando Magic and Day'Ron Sharpe of the Brooklyn Nets have been discussed as possible options. Our very own Jackson Caudell took a look at some of the other options Atlanta has if they want to add center help.

However, is center truly the most pressing need for the Hawks at the deadline?

Between Onyeka Okongwu and Kristaps Porzingis, the Hawks should have enough to present a solid matchup with most NBA center rotations. Okongwu was excellent against the Suns, scoring 25 points to go with five rebounds, five assists and two steals. There are certain defensive matchups which he struggles in, but he's given the Hawks more than they ever could have imagined on offense. Porzingis' defense isn't as good as it once was, but the seven-footer is still a solid rim deterrent and his offensive impact is obvious. Atlanta has a 118.1 offensive rating with him on the court, which would be just below a top-five mark in the NBA.

To be clear, neither are great rebounders and it wouldn't hurt to have a more capable rebounding option alongside them. Mo Gueye does not have the trust of head coach Quin Snyder and Asa Newell is a undersized rookie (albeit a decent rebounder for his age). However, they do have playable options at that spot. Despite making tons of investment into the position, Atlanta is actually more short-handed than fans might realize at the small forward position.

The Hawks Have a Pressing Need At Small Forward

Jan 2, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) looks to drive past New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

With the absence of Zaccharie Risacher from the lineup, the Hawks have been able to see how thin they are at that position. New acquisition Corey Kispert has not acclimated smoothly to his new team. Kispert was acquired as a wing depth option, but he's averaging 8.3 points while shooting 33.3% from deep on four attempts a game. He's only played seven games as a Hawk - it is concievable he could improve his numbers over the course of the season's second half. However, Atlanta shouldn't be counting on that.

It's also a bit difficult to claim that the Hawks were getting a lot out of that spot when Risacher was in the lineup. He's a great transition player - Atlanta was 2.5 points better per 100 transition plays with Risacher on the floor (93rd percentile among all forwards). It's reasonable to say that he made the Hawks much better in transition and contributed to their pace. However, he's dramatically less effective when he's facing a set defense. The Hawks actually generate 1.7 fewer points per 100 half-court plays when he's on the court, which is in the 38th percentile among all wings.

There also aren't many players on the Hawks who can give good minutes at the SF spot. Vit Krejci is a great guy to have off the bench, but it becomes significantly dicier when he has to start. They can play NAW at the SF spot, but he's a bit undersized and it also puts CJ McCollum into a position where he gets exposed on the perimeter. In short, the Hawks could really use one more contributor at the SF spot. Adding more forward help would also improve Atlanta's dreadful perimeter defense, which has been a problem all season long.

Two Intriguing Small Forward Candidates For The Hawks

McCollum isn't capable of being a starter anymore. He's recently been much more productive coming off the bench, but the Hawks paying $30 million for a old, defensively-challenged bench guard doesn't seem like a great use of resources. They can still flip his salary provided that they do not add any other salaries to the deal - who are some intriguing options for help?

Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers

Feb 1, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) dribbles the ball against Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

It's been a lost season for the Pacers due to Tyrese Haliburton's injury, so they are doing their best to bottom out and get a cost-controlled starter at the top of the 2026 NBA Draft to pair with Haliburton and Siakam for the foreseeable future. Indiana has also signaled they'd be interested in moving on from Mathurin - Jake Fischer recently reported this about their desire to trade him.

"As we've covered before, Indiana has been widely searching for avenues to turn Mathurin — who's destined for restricted free agency — into a starting-caliber center to slot alongside Tyrese Haliburton next season in hopes of helping restore the Pacers to championship contention in 2026-27."

Atlanta can't give Indiana a center in this deal, but they could throw in a future pick swap or heavily protected first-round pick. This move also frees up a ton of salary cap space for the Pacers next season and that could allow them to go after someone like Mitchell Robinson if the Knicks elect not to re-sign him. Having Mathurin as essentially a sixth or seventh starter would be really intriguing for Atlanta and he'd be especially motivated to play well in a contract season.

Cam Johnson, Denver Nuggets

Dec 22, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson (23) controls the ball under pressure from Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) in the fourth quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

While the decision to acquire Cam Johnson looked like a great move for the Denver Nuggets at the time, it's pretty obvious they want that one back. Michael Porter Jr has blossomed into a great player for the Brooklyn Nets and it's actually possible they could have gotten that version of him in Denver due to Nikola Jokic's injury.

Even so, Johnson has struggled to acclimatize to Denver. He's missed a month already with a bone bruise and before his injury, he was averaging a mere 11.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists. His effiiency was rather good as he made 42.9% of his 4.5 threes a game. However, it wouldn't be altogether surprising if Denver traded him in favor of keeping Peyton Watson around for the long haul. Using McCollum's contract as a trade chip in combination with some second-rounders might be enough to convince Denver to trade Johnson, upon which he could put up similar numbers to his Brooklyn Nets version due to having an increased role in Atlanta.