The Hawks are going to be at the forefront of a lot of trade hypotheticals because the NBA world expects them to move one of Trae Young or Dejounte Murray as they retool the entire roster.
Armed with the No. 1 overall pick, an All-Star point guard, and a slew of other desirable pieces, the Hawks should be able to completely overhaul the team if they see fit. However, a lot of that depends on the vision for the roster and the opportunities available to do so around the league.
One name that has begun to be peddled is Karl-Anthony Towns. The Timberwolves fell in disappointing fashion in the Western Conference Finals in which KAT fell short of expectations. With an ownership battle taking place, the former No. 1 overall pick’s future in Minnesota is in doubt.
If the T’Wolves make him available, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey believes Atlanta would be the best landing spot for him.
But with Minnesota on track to be over the dreaded new second apron, it has to at least consider cost-cutting moves. The most obvious one would be a Karl-Anthony Towns trade, which is why he figures to show up in trade rumors for the next several weeks.
A Hawks team led by Towns and Trae Young would be lucky to be even average defensively. But Atlanta would likely near the top of the league on offense.
The Hawks could play a five-out, three-point-heavy scheme with Towns starting at the 5, and they wouldn’t necessarily be sacrificing the lob threat that’s such a huge part of Young’s game. Jalen Johnson is a high-flyer, and he could become the more common receiver for alley-oops, sort of like Aaron Gordon with the Denver Nuggets.
You could make an argument that, outside of Ben Simmons, there isn’t a player falling short of his contract quite like Karl-Anthony Towns.
He’s a wildly inconsistent player who doesn’t seem to have what it takes to be a true #2, let alone a #1 option. With the Timberwolves down 3-0 in a must-win Game 4, KAT showcased the talent that warranted his max contract, scoring 25 points on 69% shooting, knocking down four of his five three-pointers.
However, in the three games prior, Towns averaged just 15 points on just 27.8% shooting while earning a base salary north of $49 million. The Hawks would be paying Trae Young and KAT close to $100 million combined and would have one of the worst defenses in the Association.
Karl-Anthony Towns is being paid like a #1, but I’m not sure he’s even capable of being a #2. Atlanta may be the perfect place for him in Andy Bailey’s eyes; I don’t think so.
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Photographer: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
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