The Hawks' High-Stakes Offseason: Drafting a New Flight Path

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The Atlanta Hawks won the draft lottery and will be selecting 1st in the NBA draft. This team is looking to make changes to the roster in the offseason after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019-2020. They hope that whoever they select at #1 will be a superstar for this franchise for years to come. Many are suspecting the Young-Murray backcourt to be broken up before the start of next season. If this is true, whether they elect to keep Young or Murray and  how they proceed to build around either player and the 1st overall pick will be interesting.

 

The Hawks have nearly $200 million allocated to players for the 2024-2025 season. This is including the salary of the 1st overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft for the 2024-2025 season which is projected to be approximately $12.61 million. This figure represents 120% of the rookie scale, which is the maximum allowable salary for the first overall pick. This would make them a second apron team. Their total allocations apart from cap holds would put them in the luxury tax but below the 1st apron. Their most notable pending free agent is Saddiq Bey.
 

The Hawks' Backcourt

There has been rumours that the Hawks will move one of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray as pairing them together hasn’t translated to much team success (they’ve also battled injuries). Young and murray have a 55-53 record all-time in Atlanta in games they both played. It isn’t really clear which of the two guards the Hawks would trade. Young has 3 years left on his contract and Murray has 4 (including player option). Trae Young is an all-star caliber guard and has been the face of the franchise since he was drafted in 2018. He will make $43,031,940 while Murray will make $25,266,266. If the Hawks do not anticipate being competitive next year and enter a rebuilding phase, they may move the contract of Young and save on tax. Young is still only 25 years old and may be part of the Hawks plans moving forward. One rumour currently is a Trae Young to San Antonio trade where he would be paired with Wembenyama. Young is one of the best playmakers in the game and his ability to throw the lob matched with Wembenyama’s length and athleticism would make for an exciting duo. The spurs also have the Hawks' 2025 and 2027 1st round picks unprotected. If the Hawks decide to enter a rebuild and trade one or both of their starting guards, it would benefit them to have their own first round pick. The Pelicans have also been rumoured as a team that could benefit from the services of either point guard.

 

Rising Talent

 

Jalen Johnson has shown significant development since being drafted by the Hawks. His versatility and athleticism have allowed him to play both forward positions effectively. His improvement in shooting, particularly from mid-range, has made him a more reliable offensive option. Johnson's defensive skills, highlighted by his ability to guard multiple positions, have been a key asset for the Hawks.

 

Do the Hawks move Capela and start Okongwu? Capela is on the last year of his contract. He is a quality centre but I don’t know what the market for him is. Maybe there will be more suitors closer to the trade deadline for teams looking for a rental piece. If the hawks decide that Okongwu fits better with their core and the timeline then assuming the starting role could be beneficial for his development.

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The Atlanta Hawks face a pivotal offseason with the first overall pick in the NBA draft and major roster decisions looming.​