NBA insider says Hawks will make major move to avoid luxury tax
The Hawks have been heavily featured in offseason trade rumors and one NBA insider says a huge move is coming to save them from the luxury tax.
According to Brian Windhorst, the Hawks are looking to get under the luxury tax this offseason. The players mentioned as possible trade offerings to clear salary and get under that mark are De’Andre Hunter, John Collins, and Clint Capela. For years, this team has flirted with trading John Collins.
The Hawks are a team that is in a very interesting situation going forward. There appears to be some level of panic after only making the first round of the playoffs last season. They also have a front-office battle going on and a lot of instability going forward.
Who would it make sense for the Atlanta Hawks to trade?
Collins is a player who doesn’t really fit with the team. Although he is still a positive starter in this league, he doesn’t really fit with a core of Dejounte Murray and Trae Young. Still, the team hasn’t been able to get proper value for the player and has rejected offers for him in the past.
The second most likely option is De’Andre Hunter. He is also a player who could have been moved in the previous offseason. He is a 3-and-D wing who is on a very affordable contract over the next couple of years. Hunter would help any team in the league. He doesn’t have as much versatility and value as someone like Mikal Bridges but he’s one of the better 3-and-D wings.
Clint Capela is the least likely option out of these three. Capela is a player who is central to Trae Young and Dejounte Murray’s success. He is very skilled in creating screens for the team. One of the only reasons that is available is the fact that he only has two more years left on his deal.
For a small market that will not have cap space going forward if they are running with the majority of this core, they might not be able to replace Capela’s production if he ends up leaving for another team.
The best NBA Draft pick of all time at every slot. dark. Next
Check out The Step Back for more news, analysis, opinion and unique basketball coverage. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our daily email newsletter, The Whiteboard.