NBA Trade Rumors: The Atlanta Hawks could look to trade one of their All-Star guards ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.
With the NBA Trade Deadline roughly six weeks away, there are a few teams that could end up dictating this trade cycle. The Atlanta Hawks happen to be one of those teams. Dating back to the offseason, the Hawks are a team that has been hunting to make a big move via trade. During the summer, the Hawks were one of the teams that expressed the most interest in Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam.
Ultimately, the Raptors didn't end up pulling the trigger on a Siakam trade. Nevertheless, the Hawks have still been scouring the trade market for the right moment to make a move. If the recent reporting is any indication, the Hawks are expected to continue their pursuit of Siakam. But that's not the only move Atlanta could end up making at the trade deadline.
According to plugged-in NBA writer Marc Stein, there's a belief around the league that the Hawks are also expected to explore trading Dejounte Murray in the final few weeks ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.
The Atlanta Hawks are looking to retool the roster
If both these two reports are accurate, it's pretty clear that the Hawks want to retool their roster ahead of the trade deadline. Considering how much the Hawks roster has underwhelmed to a certain extent over the past season and a half, that's not surprising.
The Hawks are 12-17 through the first 29 games of the season and are sitting outside the top 10 in the Eastern Conference standings. At best, the Hawks are on pace for another disappointing first-round playoff exit. With as much talent as the Hawks have on their roster, they should be better than a squad with a first-round exit ceiling.
If the Hawks' front office is sure that this core is not ever going to be able to raise the team's ceiling, a retooling move or moves is 100 percent necessary. One path toward retooling the roster could include making a trade for Siakam while also moving on from Murray. I don't think those two rumors are all that tied to each other.
Both things can be so.
Either way, the Hawks are certainly a team to keep an eye on heading into the NBA Trade Deadline. They could end up being one of the teams the most motivated to shake up the roster heading into the second half of the season.