giving up 152 points to the Chicago Bulls<\/a>. And they\u2019re equally average on offence, though Young should help improve that.<\/p>\nWith Porzingis sidelined for an unknown period for further evaluation for an illness, Atlanta feels like a team primed to make a move for a shot in the arm and to shore up its thin frontcourt. <\/p>\n
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dyson Daniels (Photo by Ethan Miller\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Particularly when you look at the state of the East, with New York and perhaps Detroit the only two teams you can really trust. There\u2019s a pathway to the conference finals there, especially with the addition of a top-five player like Antetokounmpo.<\/p>\n
Atlanta is almost in that perfect sweet spot, where the team isn\u2019t going well enough to be weary about how a bold trade could interrupt chemistry. And the Hawks have the assets to get a deal done and are probably a big move away from being a serious contender regardless.<\/p>\n
For if Antetokounmpo isn\u2019t the answer to help get this team to another level, what is?<\/p>\n
It might also be a good time to zag \u2014 if you can call acquiring Antetokounmpo that \u2014 while so many other contenders are on internal development and other ways to improve after teams that went all-in on superstars including the LA Clippers, Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets failed miserably.<\/p>\n
The Hawks could always stick with their current plan of developing their budding core of Johnson (24), Daniels (22), Onyeka Okongwu (25) and Zaccharie Risacher (20). But they might be able to have their cake and eat it too.<\/p>\n
Porzingis\u2019 expiring $30 million contract and ownership of the juicy Pelicans pick are two valuable assets to potentially use in a trade.<\/p>\n
There might be more urgency to move the New Orleans pick now too, before it declines further in value.<\/p>\n
While the Pelicans pick is a golden asset regardless, it doesn\u2019t look quite as good as it did a couple of weeks ago when New Orleans had the worst record in the entire NBA. The team has since gotten healthy and rattled off four-straight wins.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s seen the Pelicans move up the standings to now have only the fourth-worst record overall \u2014 or the pick with the fourth-best lottery odds right now. <\/p>\n
Plus, given New Orleans doesn\u2019t own that pick, there\u2019s no incentive for the team to tank like other teams languishing down the standings. It\u2019s therefore likely the Pelicans only continue to rise, but they should still remain in the bottom 10 or so overall. So again, it\u2019s still a highly-valuable pick.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I was Atlanta, I would trade that pick right now,\u201d The Ringer\u2019s Bill Simmons said on his podcast.<\/p>\n
\u201cAtlanta has the Porzingis expiring contract, they have a huge trade exception, they\u2019ve got to figure out the Trae Young thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut this is their chance to get somebody really good. I think they should after Giannis, I\u2019ve been saying that from day one. <\/p>\n
\u201cI would put that New Orleans pick on the table, because two months from now, I really, genuinely think New Orleans will not be one of the five worst teams in the league. They have too much talent.\u201d<\/p>\n
The future is bright in Atlanta with Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels (AP Photo\/Darryl Webb)Source: AP<\/p>\n
So does Antetokounmpo make sense with Atlanta\u2019s other core long term?<\/p>\n
It might seem like a no-brainer, but clearly it would partly depend on what the Hawks would need to give up in a trade. <\/p>\n
Jalen Johnson, having flourished as the number one option with Young on the sidelines, should be an untouchable. But Milwaukee would certainly ask the question.<\/p>\n
Johnson\u2019s agent, Rich Paul, even curiously said the Bucks should do just that and ask Atlanta for Johnson, who\u2019s originally from Wisconsin. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf I\u2019m the Bucks, I\u2019m looking at (a) young player, high character, high talent, high IQ … I\u2019m calling Atlanta, I want Jalen Johnson,\u201d Paul said on the Game Over podcast.<\/p>\n
Perhaps he was just pumping up his client … but is there anything to see there? <\/p>\n
You sense Daniels is also off limits. The Aussie was given a four-year, $100 million extension in the off-season and played such a vital role in the team\u2019s turnaround last campaign, claiming the Most Improved Player of the Year award and making the All-Defensive First Team.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s the sort of talent that you could really get burned by trading, as New Orleans has lived. But this is the NBA, after all, and stranger things have happened.<\/p>\n
A deal would more likely centre around Young and player\/s like former No. 1 pick Risacher and Alexander-Walker, who\u2019s in the midst of his own breakout year, with a multitude of picks.<\/p>\n
That would give Milwaukee flexibility to stay competitive with an All-Star like Young, who has a player option to opt out of his $48 million deal next season and become a free agent, along with young building blocks and long-term assets.<\/p>\n
Or the Bucks might prefer Porzingis\u2019 expiring deal with the likes of Risacher and Alexander-Walker.<\/p>\n
Either way, there\u2019s plenty of interesting stuff there that would appeal to Milwaukee.<\/p>\n
It could meanwhile give the Hawks a key core of Antetokounmpo, Johnson, Daniels and Okongwu. It\u2019s a core that could be frighteningly good defensively, but in need of a point guard.<\/p>\n
None of that quartet are elite 3-point shooters either, even if Johnson and Okongwu profile strong enough for their positions. So the Hawks could run into spacing issues and would obviously need to find a guard that can shoot.<\/p>\n
Joining Atlanta would crucially allow Antetokounmpo to stay in the East and away from the rising powerhouse teams in the West.<\/p>\n
All the talk is that Antetokounmpo is keen to continue to contend for championships, and there mightn\u2019t be many better landing spots or stars to team up with than Johnson.<\/p>\n
NBA Wrap: Giddey’s Bulls inflict damage | 01:55<\/p>\n
NBA insider Zach Lowe, who previously called Atlanta a \u201cwildcard\u201d in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, thinks it remains the \u201cmost interesting Giannis team\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey hold that pick that half belongs to Milwaukee and they hold a piece of Milwaukee\u2019s pick next year. They have the big semi-expiring salary of Trae Young, they have Risacher,\u201d he said on his podcast.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are the one team I could see looking in the mirror and saying: \u2018If this Porzingis this isn\u2019t going to happen and we\u2019re not going to be able to count on him (we should go for Antetokounmpo). We\u2019re currently playing Mouhamed Gueye and Asa Newell as our backup centres behind Okongwu, who\u2019s been outstanding. And we think we can make a real leap with Giannis this year and our roadmap for the next few years is way, way better with Giannis than without Giannis, because we\u2019re not sure what\u2019s going to happen with Trae.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of factors that would sway to me think pretty hard about it and this Porzingis thing is one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
It also important to note Antetokounmpo\u2019s contract situation.<\/p>\n
Antetokounmpo is technically contracted for two more seasons after this, but he critically has a player option in 2027\/28 he can opt out of. It means he could, in theory, leave a new team he\u2019s traded to after the 2026\/27 season \u2014 the season after this current one. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s a very key factor in all of this that might spook some potential suitors. As teams wouldn\u2019t want to absolutely sell the farm without some sort of long-term commitment from the superstar beyond 2027. <\/p>\n
Of course, if Atlanta didn\u2019t want to go chips in on Antetokounmpo, it could always assess the market for other star bigs that would come at a cheaper price.<\/p>\n
Anthony Davis is the obvious name that comes to mind, but he comes with significant injury risk.<\/p>\n
Domantas Sabonis and Jaren Jackson Jr. are other options that could become available.<\/p>\n
Or if Atlanta wanted to go even cheaper, the likes of Daniel Gafford and Nic Claxton are seemingly gettable. <\/p>\n
Trae Young\u2019s future in Atlanta is clouded (Photo by Kevin C. Cox\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Young\u2019s fate is a fascinating side plot to it all in what feels like a crossroads moment for his career in Atlanta.<\/p>\n
The Hawks went 13-10 when Young was sidelined and had periods where they looked like a better overall team with more ball movement and length. But they\u2019ve also missed his offence and it\u2019d be dismissive to think he can\u2019t make them better.<\/p>\n
So how the guard reintegrates with the Hawks over the next few weeks could have a key influence on which direction they go.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s long been speculation around Young potentially leaving the Hawks, but it feels more real than ever given he\u2019s effectively a pseudo free agent this off-season with that player option on his contract.<\/p>\n
The 27-year old\u2019s offensive talent is undeniable. But Young\u2019s passive pay package and role as a very heliocentric point guard on offence, while being a negative on defence, means there\u2019s not an obvious list of suitors lining up for him.<\/p>\n
That could always change, especially if Young helps propel the Hawks\u2019 season from here. But then Atlanta might felt less inclined to move him in the constant push and pull NBA teams are always weighing up.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is probably the most pivotal season for Trae. How he comes back, because the Hawks have gotten a feel of what this team is capable of doing without him,\u201d NBA insider Chris Haynes said on The Kevin O\u2019Connor Show.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes Trae make this team better? Or does Trae hinder them from reaching their next step? That\u2019s why I say it\u2019s a very pivotal season for Trae.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat being said, I haven\u2019t heard anything concrete that would suggest Trae would be moved in-season. So I think his situation will be \ufeffdecided ultimately this coming off-season.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe market is tough, there\u2019s not a lot of teams out there in need of a point guard. Even how he comes back and how he meshes is going to have a big say on what teams may have interest moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The list of suitors willing to make an all-in trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo is seemingly shrinking. At least…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":365512,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557],"tags":[198527,2620,198523,198518,2095,16107,4131,7218,64,63,198528,16716,198530,684,50024,7187,183063,2066,185470,198519,198539,133338,12266,12840,800,2618,198535,198521,12130,198524,198536,198517,2105,5552,198538,7220,81847,88842,12836,183050,198531,198529,198516,1136,13339,148709,7223,8440,5130,4620,590,3879,1025,1666,12846,2041,2067,198522,198532,198526,186899,122390,971,198537,7889,10549,198540,198534,85,198541,42307,24362,198520,36336,198533,177242,2614,161841,12216,198525,68979,102761],"class_list":["post-365511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-aaron-gash","tag-agence-france-presse","tag-all-in-trade","tag-all-out-tank-mode","tag-america","tag-anthony-davis","tag-atlanta","tag-atlanta-hawks","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-backup-centres","tag-ball-movement","tag-barclays-plc-center","tag-ben-cotton","tag-bill-simmons","tag-brooklyn","tag-bucks-star","tag-chicago-bulls","tag-chris-haynes","tag-conference-finals","tag-crossroads-moment","tag-daniel-gafford","tag-detroit","tag-dyson-daniels","tag-espn-inc","tag-ethan-miller","tag-exciting-young-nucleus","tag-fascinating-watch","tag-four-straight-wins","tag-fourth-best-lottery-odds","tag-fourth-worst-record","tag-franchise-keeping","tag-getty-images-inc","tag-golden-state-warriors","tag-highly-valuable-pick","tag-houston-rockets","tag-injury-risk","tag-inner-circle","tag-jalen-johnson","tag-jaren-jackson","tag-kevin-c-cox-getty-images","tag-landing-spots","tag-logical-suitor","tag-looks-set","tag-louisiana","tag-luke-hales","tag-miami-heat","tag-michigan","tag-milwaukee","tag-milwaukee-bucks","tag-nba","tag-new-orleans","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-knicks","tag-nickeil-alexander-walker","tag-north-america","tag-northern-america","tag-offensive-talent","tag-passive-pay-package","tag-pivotal-season","tag-play-in-spot","tag-player-option","tag-point-guard","tag-real-leap","tag-salary-cap","tag-san-antonio-spurs","tag-semi-expiring-salary","tag-spacing-issues","tag-sports","tag-star-bigs","tag-state-of-georgia","tag-stranger-things","tag-thing-work","tag-things-work","tag-top-five-player","tag-trade-exception","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-valuable-assets","tag-wisconsin","tag-young-building-blocks","tag-young-core","tag-zach-lowe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=365511"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365511\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/365512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=365511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=365511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=365511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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