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NBA trade rumors: 3 teams that should deal with ‘open’ Hawks and for who

With the Atlanta Hawks open for trade talks, these three teams should make a phone call.

By Zachary Rotman

Nov 6, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder talks with Atlanta
Nov 6, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder talks with Atlanta / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
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At just 12-17 so far, the Atlanta Hawks have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA. This Hawks team didn't exactly come into the year with championship aspirations, but they certainly were expected to be a playoff team. They're simply too talented to not be. Unfortunately, that poor record not only has them out of the playoffs, it has them on the outside looking in when it comes to the Play-In Tournament as well.

There's still a ton of time and if the Hawks keep their team as is they'll presumably be a Play-In team, but that shouldn't be good enough. This Hawks team is led by one of the best backcourts in basketball in Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, yet they're percentage points behind the reeling Chicago Bulls right now.

With the Hawks getting off to a rough start this season, the franchise is reportedly 'open' to shaking things up at the trade deadline. While a rumored Dejounte Murray trade to the Knicks doesn't make much sense for either side, there are players Atlanta should consider moving if things don't get better by the trade deadline.

3) Toronto Raptors should trade for Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter

The Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks have been linked to each other for a while now, mainly with Pascal Siakam in mind. The Raptors are going nowhere quickly, and with Siakam in the final year of his deal, Toronto trading him to get something for him makes a lot of sense.

The Hawks are a team unlikely to win an NBA Championship this season, obviously, but acquiring and then extending Siakam gives them a third star to pair with Young and Murray. It'd be risky as Siakam can simply leave at season's end, but parting with Hunter as the main piece to land the All-Star forward should be a no-brainer for Toronto.

While the Raptors would be losing talent in this trade by parting with their all-star, they'd be getting a future building block in Hunter. The 26-year-old isn't as good as Siakam but he's arguably a better fit as a player who doesn't need the ball as much and can be a much-needed floor spacer for Scottie Barnes. Hunter is averaging 14.9 points per game this season and is shooting 40% from three point range.

Though injury concerns are real with Hunter, he's under contract for each of the next three seasons at a reasonable $22.5 million AAV and can fit in as a shooter and good defender for the Raptors.

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