The Atlanta Hawks haven’t been shy about their interest to improve before the trade deadline, despite having the league’s worst record at 8-31. They’ve been linked to Steven Adams, Andre Drummond, and most recently, Davis Bertans of the Washington Wizards as they aim to beef up their frontcourt that has been one of the most ineffective in the NBA this season.
While Adams makes some sense, the latter two would be a little more perplexing if the Hawks were to move forward and acquire one of them. Both Drummond and Bertans are in the final years of their contracts, and Atlanta is in no business to think about making a push for this season. Unless they were coming at an extremely cheap price, you have to think the Hawks are simply doing their due diligence. And that appears to be the case, as New York Knicks reporter, Ian Begley, reported that teams in touch with Atlanta seem to think they are much more interested in Steven Adams than Andre Drummond.
Things can – and do – change quickly on the trade landscape but NYK's recent talks w/DET about Andre Drummond were more than just exploratory, per sources. Also, teams in touch w/ATL recently came away with impression Hawks had more interest in Steven Adams than Drummond. More: https://t.co/RyUDKV147o
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) January 11, 2020
Now, we can go back and forth all day about who is better between Andre Drummond and Steven Adams. I would side with Adams, but you can make a case for Drummond, who has become the rebound king in the NBA. However, from a contract perspective, Adams is much more practical.
The Hawks will have over $80 million in cap space this upcoming offseason, and the free-agent class doesn’t feature many game-changing names. Atlanta is going to need to fill out the rest of their roster and reach the salary floor, so what better way to start that process than by addressing their biggest need. The Hawks are among the worst rebounding teams in the league, and if we are being honest, the stats don’t do their struggles on the glass justice. They are also one of the worst defensive teams in the paint.
Bringing in Adams kills two birds with one stone, even if his contract is a little inflated. He’s scheduled to make over $27 million next season, but the Hawks can afford that with no issues, and it would give them a better look at what this team needs as they move forward in their rebuild.
I wouldn’t say the Hawks need to make a move. After all, they are a tanking team. But at some point, developing a winning culture trumps draft position, and it’s not like the lottery is a sure thing anymore. Given how much this team has underachieved this season, I wouldn’t be surprised if a move like this was made to shake things up. It sure feels like something is needed.