‘Most Excited I’ve Been For a Season’ — Atlanta Hawks Fans Ecstatic After New Regime Crushes NBA Draft, Trades

by

The NBA Draft has officially passed, and the offseason is now well underway. While many teams have made key moves, one team in particular has stood out: the Atlanta Hawks, who have taken the NBA world by storm with their early action.

As a team that’s been in an awkward spot in the Eastern Conference, the Hawks’ new approach could be exactly what they need to turn things around.

Dive into PFSN’s FREE NBA Mock Draft Simulator and take the place of any of the 30 GMs around the league.

Trae Young Gains New Star Teammate as Atlanta Hawks Bolster Lineup

Atlanta has had talent on the roster for the last few years but has struggled to find consistent success. That said, their biggest move of the offseason so far was trading for Boston Celtics star center Kristaps Porziņģis, a deal that has many viewing them as clear winners.

In the trade, which also involved the Brooklyn Nets, the Hawks gave up Terance Mann, Georges Niang and the 22nd overall pick in the draft.

While the package wasn’t small, the value they’re getting in return far outweighs what they gave up. They also added Georgia forward Asa Newell with the 23rd pick, a solid addition. What’s more impressive is that, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Hawks aren’t done making moves.

“Yet the Hawks, by all accounts, are not done. As we’ve been reporting for more than a week, Atlanta is hopeful of putting its $25.3 million trade exception to use before it expires on July 7. The TPE [Traded Player Exception] was created last July when the Hawks dealt Dejounte Murray to New Orleans in a sign-and-trade,” wrote Fischer.

If the Hawks can keep the momentum going through the rest of the offseason, they could start to position themselves as contenders. They’re not quite there yet, but fans are already hopeful they’ll have a real shot in the Eastern Conference.

“This upcoming season is probably the most excited I’ve been for a season in all my years as a Hawks fan,” one fan said.

Prior to the Porziņģis trade, Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins discussed the possibility of Young being the No. 1 option on a contender.

Wilkins said, “He doesn’t have to be if you have the right mix.” He also added, “You need that other superstar, and they’ve got superstars-in-the-making, but sometimes it takes a little time.”

It seems the Hawks took that message to heart by adding another star to support Young. Atlanta has some promising young players, but as Wilkins said, it takes time to develop. If they want to contend now, they’ll need to bring in guys who can contribute right away.

There’s still work to be done, but the Hawks are on their way to having one of the best offseasons in the league. If they keep up this pace, “contender” might soon be part of how people describe them.

Leave a Comment