If nothing else, you have to at least give Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk some credit. He’s looking for a home run at this year’s trade deadline, and who could blame him? The Hawks have won eight of nine, are firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, and appear to be just one player away from something special.
Atlanta has been linked to Jaylen Brown; however, it doesn’t look like those talks got anywhere, as the Celtics reportedly countered by asking for Trae Young and De’Andre Hunter. That is not going to happen, but something else big could. And most recently, the Hawks have been linked to Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon.
The Atlanta Hawks have had discussions about trading for Malcolm Brogdon, per @SIChrisMannix pic.twitter.com/RWizIcQOzp
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) March 24, 2021
Brogdon is a very similar fit next to Trae Young as Lonzo Ball, who the Hawks have also been linked to leading up to the trade deadline. However, Brogdon is substantially more productive and has a better track record. He’s averaging 21.6 points and 6.1 assists per game this season and shooting just a hair under 40% from behind the arc. On top of that, he’s an above-average rebounder for his size and fantastic defensively.
In a vacuum, Brogdon is everything the Hawks are looking for at the trade deadline — a true scoring threat at the two-guard that can help the backcourt out defensively. However, like Jaylen Brown, it will take an arm and a leg for the Pacers to move him. Brogdon’s in the second year of a four-year/$85 million contract and just seems to be entering his prime at 28-years-old. Not to mention, the Pacers are also in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
It’s worth noting that Brogdon made some comments to the Indianapolis Star that he was unhappy with McMillan’s coaching style, but the comments were mostly focused on the personnel on the Pacers roster and the adjustments that McMillan made to it. I don’t think it was a direct shot at Nate, just general frustration — the Hawks look totally different from the 2019 Pacers. Brogdon is probably just what the Hawks need to put them over the top, but I find it hard to believe Indiana would move him right now.
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