2019-20 Atlanta Hawks

2018-19: 29-53
Draft picks: 8,10,17,35,41,42

Signed for next season ($56.9m): Kent Bazemore (player option), Allen Crabbe, Miles Plumlee, Trae Young, Alex Len, John Collins, Kevin Huerter, Deandre Bembry, Omari Spellman, Jaylen Adams
Bringing back last year's team that overachieved looks like the right move and throwing two extra top ten picks just makes it all the more intriguing.
But they went ahead and moved Waller-Prince for Crabbe, taking on a lot of salary and picking up the #17 pick in the bargain (and a protected 2020 1st rd pick, too). Crabbe and Bazemore become their best two trade chips, I wouldn't be surprised if Bazemore moved this summer and then for Crabbe to be available at the trade deadline (although two 1st rounders to get rid of him suggests he's not ready to play?). And if anyone wanted Plumlee, I reckon he can be had.
That said, I liked the Hawks last year and I think they can get going quicker next year and actually compete for a playoff spot--or be in line for an upgrade at the deadline rather than a salary dump.


This summer's free agents: Dewayne Dedmon, Justin Anderson, Vince Carter, Isaac Humphries, Deyonte Davis
I can see the Hawks bringing back Dedmon but I don't see any reason for the Hawks to focus on bringing back any of the others. I'd rather take a run at a guy like Jared Dudley: lovable, hard-working vet to keep the youngsters facing forward.


Draft: First off, 8,10 and 17 feels like a trade chip. If they actually exercised those picks they could end up with, say, Jarrett Culver (Texas Tech), Rui Hachimura (Gonzaga) and Keldon Johnson (Kentucky), which would be a nice haul to go with Trae Young. Perhaps PJ Washington (Kentucky) and Bruno Fernando (Maryland) would be more to their liking just to add some toughness. But, really, I expect a trade for at least two of those picks, so who they got their eye on? (Does any of that get them Gary Harris from Denver?)

Pointless trade idea: Wolves get #17, Miles Plumlee; Hawks get #10, Gorgui Dieng

Wolves get rid of the 2yrs/$34m they owe Dieng for 1yr/$12m for Plumlee, who probably fits what they want to do better anyway. Giving away #11 to get back #17 isn't a huge move, they could still get a shot at Bol Bol (Oregon) for example.

The Hawks get an underappreciated big man who I think fits better with Trae Young than Plumlee does and get to slide up the draft board, too. Take back some salary, get another draft pick, cha ching! (I know, I know: this doesn't look like a great deal for the Hawks, but I'm telling ya: Gorgui can shoot and pairing him with Trae works better then Plumlee)


Next year's lineup:
PG Young, SG Huerter, SF Bazemore, PF Bembry, C Collins with #8, #10, #17, Adams, Crabbe, Spellman, and Len off the bench.

This team was better than they were supposed to be last year suggesting that Trae Young is a for real cornerstone to build around and that Collins, Bembry and Huerter are nice pieces, too. Next season was meant to be another rebuilding year with another batch of rookies to throw in the mix. But because the current lineup is ahead of schedule, the desire is to go ahead and make moves--and they do have a ton of money to spend. Do they swap some combination of #8 and #10 and #17 for a proven player? Does that get them Blake Griffin from the Pistons? Personally, I prefer youth movements and I'd take the picks, go minimal in free agency, let these youngsters figure it out and then go hard for stars next summer (especially since there isn't any particular star that seems to match what they currently need).

But I will make a--potentially godawful--free agent suggestion: go get both of the Morris twins. I'll bet if you take them both as a package you can get them for 4yr/$40m each. It could be that putting these two together is too bizarre to work and it destroys everything and crashes your youth movement and makes everyone hate basketball in Atlanta or it could be that they're so insular that no one even notices them outside of the games. And another--potentially godawful--suggestion: Jimmy Butler. He's either the perfect addition for this scrappy batch of youngsters or he sucks up all the oxygen and destroys the locker room. Are the Hawks ready to roll the dice on that combustible next step or do they sit tight for one more year of youth as they originally planned?

If I'm the Hawks I think I might be willing to overpay for a guy like Danny Green: hard-working vet, just won a championship, endured hard times, had an unorthodox entry into the league, he's another vet that give the youngsters a whole new way of seeing the league, might be really good for that locker room.