As the draft approaches, the new-look front office is working the phones at an obscene rate, weighing a handful of opportunities. The Hawks are reportedly open to trading Dejounte Murray, John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, and Clint Capela, among others.
The most confirmed rumors revolve around Atlanta’s desire to trade up in the draft, primarily dealing with the Mavericks and their 10th pick. However, new information has come to light on a different front.
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports!, the Hawks and Pacers were approaching the finish line of a deal surrounding De’Andre Hunter.
Another trade in the Eastern Conference seemed to derail as it approached the finish line Tuesday night. The Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks were making headway on a deal that would have sent De’Andre Hunter to the Pacers, league sources told Yahoo Sports, but talks ultimately broke apart.
The Hawks are clearly trying to move up from the 15th pick, and the Pacers currently own the rights to the 7th pick. I assume the framework was a pick swap with Hunter and possibly other assets heading to Indiana, but Fischer notes none of those details are known.
Further details of the framework are still unknown, but as the Hawks have consistently looked at deals that could help Atlanta jump from No. 15 into the top 10 of this draft, the Pacers were not willing to swap the No. 7 pick in those discussions for Hunter, sources said.
The Hawks are trying to shed salary while simultaneously getting better. It’s not the easiest task; in fact, it might be one that proves to be a two-year venture because there are no obvious options for Atlanta to immediately improve the roster while cutting costs.
If history repeats itself, the Hawks will make the selection at the 15th pick, but this is a new regime in charge, and they’re certainly trying to make a move up the board for a specific prospect. We’ll see what tonight brings.
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Photographer: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
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