Don't Buy the Atlanta Hawks as Trade Deadline Sellers Just Yet

The Atlanta Hawks made what appears to be a puzzling trade on Wednesday, sending 22-year old wing Cam Reddish, along with Solomon Hill and a 2nd Round pick to the New York Knicks for a protected 2022 first round pick and forward Kevin Knox.

According to every NBA insider, writer, fan, and perhaps multiple bots on social media, the Knicks fleeced the Hawks on this deal, as Reddish now joins his college teammate R.J. Barrett in New York.

While the Hawks have struggled, currently sitting in 12th in the Eastern Conference standings, it's still perplexing that the team who nearly made it to the NBA Finals a season ago would give up a young, high-upside asset for what seems like very little in return. Reddish was a former top 10 lottery pick in his third season in Atlanta, enjoying his best and most efficient season in the NBA.

So why make this move now?

There's plenty of possibilities, including from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that Reddish wanted a larger role with a shot at a long-term deal, but General Manager Travis Schlenk could still have dealt him this summer. That way, the Hawks' front office could have had a full season's sample to see whether or not this year's team could rekindle their success from their second half last year where they put up the best record in the league; 27-11 after Nate McMillan took over for Lloyd Pierce.

It's a trade that smells like a short-term rebuild for an inconsistent team, but here's why I'm not buying it.

Schlenk was recently on 92.9 The Game in Atlanta discussing the current state of the team, and openly suggested changes could be coming, notably due to their inability to get key stops on defense.

Via Soaring Down South, Schlenk stated, "they would have to take a “long look” at the roster to assess whether it is the group that showed so much promise at less than full strength last season or the one that has struggled to perform up to snuff even when (closer to) fully healthy this season."

He also said they will have to make adjustments in the wake of those assessments. The move of Reddish out of town gives them more flexibility to make another major move ahead of the deadline.

I give a ton of credit to Schlenk for proactively recognizing that this team, as currently constructed wasn't going to be the one to get back to the Eastern Conference Finals. With Trae Young locked up long-term, Atlanta is in their prime window to compete in the East and a white flag season doesn't appear to be on the horizon if there are other assets they can aquire.

Right now, the Hawks (17-23) sit at +5000, or 50/1 to win the NBA Finals over at WynnBET Sportsbook, and +2200 (22/1) to win the Eastern Conference. The team they just traded Cam Reddish away to, the Knicks (21-21), remain at +12500 (125/1) to win the Finals and +5000 to come out of the East.

Whether New York ultimately finishes ahead of Atlanta at season's end, as well as in the playoffs remains to be seen, but this Hawks team is far from finished based on both their Vegas odds, as well as what options remain ahead of February's Trade Deadline.