Why This Veteran Suns Guard Could Be A Trade Target For The Atlanta Hawks This Offseason

The Atlanta Hawks undoubtedly need to add more ball-handlers this summer.

In the first round against the Knicks, the Hawks rode two great games from CJ McCollum into a 2-1 lead over New York. Unfortunately, McCollum ran out of gas, and the Hawks' half-court offense fell off a cliff. Dyson Daniels is a great defender, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker had a great regular season, but the offensive production from those players in the postseason was not enough. Even if they re-sign McCollum, running it back with the same backcourt and expecting improvement would be questionable.

Fortunately, there are tons of ways that the Hawks can add backcourt help this summer. One of the most discussed ways they can bolster their guard rotation is through the draft. Whether it's with the eighth overall pick or the 22nd overall pick, there are several guards that might make sense for the Hawks. However, betting on any of them to be high-level contributors as a rookie is risky. Putting so much stock in drafting a guard also limits the Hawks' ability to take the best player available, which could be someone like Michigan center Aday Mara or his teammate, forward Yaxel Lendeborg.

Therefore, it would make sense if the Hawks bring in a veteran guard this summer via the trade market. Ideally, they'd be adding someone who has playoff experience, a proven track record of being a shooter/ball handler and a reasonable contract.

Grayson Allen fits all three requirements.

Why The Hawks Should Trade For Grayson Allen

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, Grayson Allen, Allen, Suns, Phoenix Sun — Jan 23, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) drives on Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen (8) in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Hawks get: Grayson Allen

Suns get: Zaccharie Risacher, 2027 2nd round pick, 2029 2nd round pick, 2030 2nd round pick

The Hawks' motivations for doing this are pretty clear. Currently, Zaccharie Risacher isn't a real factor in the rotation. Risacher regressed in his sophomore season, averaging 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists on 45.5/36.8/64.4% shooting splits. The Hawks were also noticeable better without Risacher - their net rating was 6.4 points higher with him off the floor. Last year, the Hawks were only 2.3 points better with him off the floor. He's not progressing in the right direction and there's a ton of competition for his role.

If Risacher can't work in Atlanta, the Suns have a clear need for playable wings and a glut of guards. Allen stands out as the obvious guy for the Hawks to acquire in exchange for the young French wing. He was a critical part of Phoenix's surprisingly solid season, averaging a career-high 16.5 points, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game in 51 games. He actually had a bad season from deep, only hitting 34.9% of his 8.9 attempts from deep a night. However, this is a player who's shot above 40% for his entire career from deep.

The exciting part of Allen's game is that he's not just a shooter. He was much more aggressive driving towards the rim this season, making 76.9% of his shots from 0-3 feet away from the basket. To contextualize how much of a jump it was for Allen, he hadn't eclipsed 75% from that range in his entire career before this season. He also took advantage of the bigger role he had with Phoenix by putting up a career-high 19.9 AST%, STL% of 2.3% and reduced TOV% of 10.1%.

The Hawks also need guards who can stay on the court defensively and Allen isn't exactly an elite defender. However, he is competent on that end and uses his 6'7 wingspan decently well to get steals and cut off passing lanes. He's extremely strong, has a good defensive IQ and can hold his own in most matchups. Allen is younger than McCollum and is already signed for the next two seasons at under $20 million a year. The playoff experience he brings as a rotation player in 28 playoff games for three different teams would also be valuable for Atlanta's culture.

Why the Hawks Wouldn't Trade For Grayson Allen

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NBA, Johnson, Jalen Johnson, Allen, Grayson Allen, Phoenix Suns, Sun — Jan 23, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) drives on Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen (8) in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Allen's contract is a double-edged sword. He won't need an extension soon, but the Hawks' front office clearly values future flexibility at this stage. If Allen declines due to injury or doesn't fit with the roster, it's going to be an expensive mistake for a team that rarely goes into the luxury tax and will get more expensive over the years as Dyson Daniels' contract kicks in.

The concerning part of Allen's profile is that the Suns weren't analytically better with him on the court despite him missing significant time due to injury and playing in fewer games. They were actually 4.4 points better in the 2124 minutes without him on the court. To be fair, they were essentially a neutral in the minutes that he played (-0.1 net rating in 1365 minutes). There are also plenty of other stats that paint a rather favorable picture of his season. He scored 1.40 points per possession as a spot-up shooter (89th percentile) and created 10.1 points per game off of his assists. For some reference, Ajay Mitchell played a similar amount of games and created 9.5 points off of his assists per game.

It likely won't catapult the Hawks into a new tier if they get Allen. However, it does mitigate a weakness of their roster and preserve optionality in the draft. It also turns a roster spot that they currently aren't getting much out of into a player who might able to swing crucial games for them. The Suns' lack of playable wing options suggests that they might be the team that can give Risacher the minutes he needs to develop. In either case, it's a low-risk gamble for the Hawks to find out whether Allen can help them be a tougher out in the Eastern Conference.

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