18. Atlanta Hawks
Key offseason move: Traded John Collins; drafted Kobe Bufkin
Entering the offseason with the goal of retooling their roster and possibly making a big move, the Atlanta Hawks haven’t had a “successful” summer. That said, you can’t say that their offseason hasn’t been productive. Even though the Hawks haven’t found a big move to pull the trigger on (though they’ve been linked to Pascal Siakam), they have reshuffled the team’s roster around Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.
After a couple of years of speculation, the Hawks finally traded John Collins to the Utah Jazz. The Hawks also drafted intriguing guard Kobe Bufkin with their first-round pick. He’s an interesting prospect that could pay dividends for the Hawks and, interestingly, give them a bit more flexibility to make a big move down the line if the Young-Murray doesn’t end up working out.
The Hawks have the talent to be a playoff team in the Eastern Conference but with how this team has consistently played under their expectation level, that’s far from a guarantee heading into the 2023-24 season.