The Hawks lost the biggest name on their roster when they traded Trae Young to the Wizards this week. They do not need to swing a deal for Anthony Davis in an attempt to reclaim some measure of star power.
Atlanta added CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert in the Young deal, but the primary motivation for the franchise was to improve their future financial flexibility. Young was playing this season at a salary of over $46 million. More importantly, he held a team option for just under $49 million next season. The lack of progress on an extension with the Hawks made Young a strong bet to pick up that option if he stayed in Atlanta.
McCollum is making just over $30 million next season but he's on an expiring contract. That gives the Hawks the ability to offload him in a deal down the stretch or simply allow his deal to expire at the conclusion of their 2025-26 campaign. Kispert's deal is guaranteed through the 2027-28 season but he projects to be a decent bench option for the Hawks until its conclusion.
Luke Kennard and Kristaps Porziņģis are also playing on expiring deals. Add it all up, and the Hawks could wield as much as $70 million in expiring contracts ahead of the trade deadline. Those deals could go a long way towards bringing in a high-priced star to rebuild around.
Anthony Davis is the wrong star for the Atlanta Hawks
Davis is one NBA star who is clearly available on the trade market, and he's been linked with the Hawks. The regime that brought him to Dallas is no longer in charge of the Mavericks' affairs. They seem ready to rebuild their roster around Cooper Flagg. In an ideal world, they'd like to offload Davis for draft capital and/or young players that can help accelerate Flagg's development.
The Hawks have been reportedly interested in Davis for weeks. When healthy, it's easy to see his appeal for decision makers in Atlanta. He could provide quality rim protection for a defense that suddenly has real upside after Young's departure. His offensive ability might also gel well with budding superstar Jalen Johnson's skill set.
The problem with Davis is that he's too injury prone and too old to really fit with the Hawks should be going for. He's suffered a myriad of injuries throughout his career, and he's only featured in 19 contests this season. The fact that he's still on the sidelines for the Mavericks only complicates the possibility of a trade materializing in the near future.
It's highly unlikely that his health will improve, since he's already playing his age-32 season. The Hawks do not need to make a substantial bet on a player who is a bad bet to ever play more than 65 games in a regular season.
Davis's slippage on the floor this season is another data point the Hawks need to acknowledge. He is averaging 20 points and 11 rebounds on the year but his effective field goal percentage of just over 52 is a clear indication that he is struggling on offense. Davis has never been entirely comfortable as a team's No. 1 offensive option, and he's further away from that than ever before at this stage of his career. The Hawks cannot afford to delude themselves into believing he can be their offensive fulcrum.
Anthony Davis wants a contract extension the Hawks should not pay
The biggest, and most expensive, reason the Hawks should pass on Davis is because the center is looking for a lucrative contract extension from any team that acquires him. If Atlanta gives into that sort of demand, they're going to lock their roster in around an aging star well into his 30s.
The better path forward for Atlanta would be to avoid the temptation of adding a big name to their roster. Instead, they can work on smaller deals that might land them younger, cheaper players who can grow around Johnson and their young core. Don't forget, they hold the Pelicans' unprotected first-round pick this year, which will likely fall in the top four.
The reality for the Hawks is that they are not one Anthony Davis trade away from making themselves Eastern Conference title contenders. That stops a potential deal from having the upset required to offset the massive risks. The Hawks need to look elsewhere with their newly acquired financial flexibility.