Grading every team’s moves – or inactivity – at the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline.
The NBA Trade Deadline has come and gone once again, with players such as James Harden, Ben Simmons, Domantas Sabonis, Kristaps Porzingis, CJ McCollum all getting moved. Some teams decided to hold pat, looking towards the buyout market, while others went for broke, looking to fast-track their timeline in an attempt to contend this season.
It’s fair to say that the league looks much more different now compared to just a week ago. While some teams are getting praised by Twitter and professional analysts alike, others are not, leaving their fans puzzled by their actions. It’s difficult to grade every team, as not everyone indulged in the trade frenzy, but without further ado, let’s get into it.
Atlanta Hawks: B-
The Atlanta Hawks ultimately made no moves at the trade deadline, with their main transaction happening more than a month ago in the trade of Cam Reddish to New York. At 26-28, the Hawks haven’t had the season they had hoped for, especially after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals just a year prior. However, winners of seven of their last ten, Atlanta is starting to turn it around, with their young core meshing well together.
Potential moves of John Collins were never beneficial to them, as he’s in the first year of a five-year extension. Potential targets Marcus Smart and Ben Simmons needed more assets to be pried away from their respective teams, causing GM Travis Schlenk to stand pat. They did have the option to combine expiring salaries with Danilo Gallinari to make upgrades on the perimeter, but simply didn’t pull the trigger.