Atlanta Hawks

The San Antonio Spurs reportedly had eyes for Trae Young before deciding to trade for De'Aaron Fox instead.

NBA insider Chris Haynes reported Thursday on NBA TV that the Spurs were "considering" a move for Young, but "the way that the Spurs are set up right now, they are not set up to try to win games and contend now."

Haynes continued: "So there was never a hurry to bring in an established point guard to move on to the next phase. De'Aaron Fox kinda fell in their lap, and he picked them as the sole team he wanted to play with, so they chose him. It was a much easier route to get De'Aaron. But Trae Young was on the San Antonio Spurs' radar."

It does feel, however, like the Hawks will have to make a decision—and soon—on Young's future with the team.

When Atlanta won the draft lottery to secure the No. 1 pick and select Zaccharie Risacher in the 2024 NBA draft, it opened up a world of possibilities for the franchise coming off a 36-46 record last season.

And questions about Young's place in Atlanta have circulated for several years. Following the Hawks' playoff loss to the Boston Celtics at the end of the 2022-23 season, speculation about Young's future with the organization began.

Kevin O'Connor, then working for The Ringer, reported in April 2023 that the Hawks' front office had "the green light from ownership to do whatever it wants to with the roster, which includes considering trade opportunities involving [Young]."

Atlanta made a big bet in the summer of 2022 by acquiring Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs. The deal cost the team a protected 2023 first-round pick (via the Charlotte Hornets), unprotected first-round draft picks in 2025 and 2027, plus a first-round pick swap in 2026.

Murray initially made a long-term commitment to the Hawks last July by signing a four-year, $114 million extension that began with the 2024-25 season. But the duo never quite jelled as imagined, and the team ultimately bailed on the pairing by trading Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Hawks have continued to make moves ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline that suggest they are slowly pivoting to a rebuild around a younger core group (or, at the very least, clearing out some future cap space to become players in free agency). On Thursday alone, they traded De'Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanović in separate deals.

The Atlanta Hawks are trading forward De'Andre Hunter to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks and two swaps, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/5fpE4LJzpK

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2025

The Los Angeles Clippers are trading Terance Mann and Bones Hyland to the Atlanta Hawks for Bogdan Bogdanovic and three second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/jffPjDYiVm

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2025

Young still has another year remaining on his current contract plus a $48.97 million player option for 2026-27. He's proved capable of leading a team to the playoffs, but the jury is still out on whether he can be the No. 1 option on a title contender.

The Hawks did have one great playoff run with Young when they got to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021. He helped put the franchise back on the map over the past five seasons.

Young has averaged at least 25 points and nine assists per game over each of the past four seasons. His scoring is down slightly this season (23.2 points per game), but he's leading the NBA with a career-high 11.5 assists per game.

The Atlanta Hawks have reportedly traded wing De'Andre Hunter to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round draft picks and two pick swaps.

Shams Charania of ESPN reported the news ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.

Hunter has enjoyed a strong season, averaging 19 points on 46.1 percent shooting and 3.9 rebounds per game. Most notably, he's shot 39.3 percent from three-point range.

The 27-year-old Hunter signed a four-year, $95 million contract extension with the Hawks in Oct. 2022. His current deal runs through 2026-27.

Hunter was the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft after leading Virginia to an NCAA championship. The 6'8" forward has enjoyed a solid career, averaging 14.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

Unfortunately, injuries have cost him large chunks of time since his second NBA season (2020-21). During that year, a right knee ailment led to getting surgery on a torn meniscus. In Nov. 2021, Hunter suffered a right wrist injury that cost him 25 games. Right knee inflammation sidelined Hunter for over a month during the 2023-24 campaign.

Right knee inflammation has unfortunately cost him time again this year, but that hasn't stopped him from authoring his most productive season yet.

Surprisingly, Hunter is on the move, though, ending his six years in Atlanta.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com connected the Cavs and Hunter on Wednesday.

And now it's come to fruition as Hunter becomes a superstar sixth man for a Cavs team with a healthy first-place edge in the Eastern Conference and sights set on the franchise's second NBA championship.

Ultimately, Cleveland looks as if it has two major obstacles in the way of a title via the defending champion Boston Celtics and the NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder. Both teams are quite deep, so Cleveland needs to match or exceed that. Enter Hunter, who should help strengthen the Cavs' stout second unit en route to a potential championship run.

The Atlanta Hawks reportedly may turn to the New Orleans Pelicans to find a replacement for Jalen Johnson after the forward suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst (1:20 mark) reported on Friday that there has been "a little bit of a warmup" regarding trade talks involving Brandon Ingram.

"Specifically, keep an eye on the Atlanta Hawks," he said. "They just lost their star wing Jalen Johnson for the season, they may start to get interested in making a move especially for Brandon Ingram. Keep an eye on that."

This has been a season to forget for the Pelicans, who entered with expectations of a playoff run but instead sit in 14th place in the Western Conference standings at 12-36 thanks in large part to injuries.

Ingram is scheduled for free agency after the season and could leave anyway, so it would make sense that New Orleans would be interested in trading him.

It might not be a long-term rebuild with Zion Williamson as the franchise player, so any assets the front office could get in an Ingram deal could help the Pelicans return to competitive form as soon as next season.

And Atlanta is battling for position in the Eastern Conference standings. It is 22-26 and in ninth place, which would put it in the play-in tournament if it cannot make up the two-game deficit on the sixth-seeded Miami Heat.

Losing Johnson will make that playoff battle all the more difficult, although Ingram would be a solid replacement.

The biggest question mark with the Duke product is health, as he has played just 18 games this season and last appeared in a contest on Dec. 7 thanks to an ankle injury.

Ingram has been effective when he does play and is averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists a night while shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from deep. Pairing him with Trae Young could make the Hawks dangerous in a play-in or playoff situation, although the front office will have to decide how much it is willing to give up given the team's position in the standings.

As for the Pelicans, getting something back in return before he potentially leaves in free agency would make sense.

The Atlanta Hawks are "exploring the trade market" for wing Bogdan Bogdanović, accoridng to NBA insider Marc Stein.

"It has been known for some time that Atlanta is willing to trade veteran center Clint Capela, but league sources say that the Hawks have begun actively exploring the trade market for their own perimeter specialist: Bogdan Bogdanović," Stein wrote on Thursday.

Expanding on this story below: @JakeLFischer reports there is rising confidence now that Atlanta will ultimately have multiple potential landing spots to trade Bogdan Bogdanović before next week's trade deadline.

More coverage here: https://t.co/HPdTfb8cjt https://t.co/sEOC9CsPXq

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 30, 2025

According to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports, the Phoenix Suns are not interested in Bogdanović.

The 32-year-old Bogdanović is averaging 10.0 points on 37.1 percent shooting, 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 24.0 minutes per game. He's played just 24 games (all off the bench) largely due a hamstring injury that kept him out nearly a month and a lower left leg contusion that sidelined him for a couple of weeks.

Bogdanović didn't play in his team's 100-92 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves last Monday due to a coach's decision. He then missed the Hawks' 100-96 loss to the Houston Rockets the next day due to personal reasons. That's the same reason given for why Bogdanović will sit Atlanta's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.

The 22-25 Hawks have lost six games in a row, and that slide may continue as they embark on a three-game road trip against teams higher than them in the standings, including the 38-9 Cavs.

One can surmise that Bogdanović's time in town could very well be up given his DNP-CD followed by two games out due to personal reasons as next Thursday's trade deadline looms. It's been a rough year for the wing (and now the Hawks), but it's clear the two sides may be nearing a split.

Amid a difficult 2024-25 season, the Atlanta Hawks reportedly suffered a major blow to their lineup on Wednesday.

NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that Hawks rising star forward Jalen Johnson will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

Jalen Johnson will miss the remainder of the season with a torn labrum in his left shoulder, per @ChrisBHaynes

Johnson was averaging a career high 18.9 PTS, 10 REB, 5 AST this season pic.twitter.com/fLb68UspLu

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 29, 2025

ESPN's Shams Charania added that Johnson will be undergoing season-ending surgery.

In his fourth NBA season after being drafted 20th overall in 2021, Johnson was in the midst of a breakout year for the Hawks. He was averaging career highs across the board with 18.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. If he had stayed healthy, he likely would've been in the running to earn his first career All-Star selection.

Johnson had missed time earlier this month with inflammation in his shoulder before returning on Jan. 18. He played in four games before being sidelined again after suffering another shoulder injury on Jan. 23 against the Toronto Raptors.

The Hawks have lost six straight games and rank ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 22-25 record. Star point guard Trae Young has done his best to keep Atlanta afloat and leads the team with 22.7 points and 11.4 assists per game, but he will be counted on even more going forward without Johnson.

2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher is likely to see more action in Johnson's absence, but he's still adjusting to life in the NBA with an average of just 10.5 points. Swingman De'Andre Hunter, who ranks second on the team with 19.1 points per game, will likely now be the team's No. 2 option behind Young.

The Hawks will try to end their skid when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers (37-9) on Thursday.

The NBA announced that Saturday's scheduled game between the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena in Atlanta has been postponed.

The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/lZDHta1JOV

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 11, 2025

In a statement, the league cited "severe weather and hazardous icy conditions in the Atlanta area."

Per Fox Weather, a winter storm hit the southeastern United States this week, impacting 25 states with cold, snowy and icy weather.

Two to six inches of snow were reported in downtown Atlanta on Friday amid a state of emergency declared by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. There are also a reported 100,000 Georgians without power.

In addition to Rockets vs. Hawks, two other NBA games scheduled for Saturday were also postponed.

Those postponements were related to the raging wildfires in the Los Angeles area, as both the Charlotte Hornets vs. Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Lakers games will be played at a later date.

A game between the Hornets and Lakers scheduled for Thursday was also postponed.

At 25-12, the Rockets have the second-best record in the Western Conference this season, so they were poised to be favored on the road against the 19-19 Hawks.

After three consecutive seasons with 22 or fewer wins, the Rockets took a huge leap forward last season, going 41-41. They have taken another big step this season, as they appear to be playoff bound for the first time since 2020.

The young core of Jalen Green, Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson has led the way to Houston this season, while veterans Fred VanVleet have provided much-needed production and leadership as well.

On the heels of three straight playoff appearance, the Hawks missed the postseason with a 36-46 record in 2023-24, but they are back in the thick of the playoff hunt this season, as they are currently ninth in the Eastern Conference.

Atlanta has been a streaky team this season with a six-game and four-game winning streak, as well as a four-game losing streak and three three-game losing streaks.

As is usually the case, Trae Young has been the Hawk's standout as their leading scorer and the NBA assists leader, but Jalen Johnson has also emerged as a potential All-Star, averaging 19.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.

The NBA has yet to announce when the Rockets vs. Hawks game will be made up, but Houston is next scheduled to host the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, while Atlanta is supposed to host the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

One year after giving Onyeka Okongwu a contract extension, the Atlanta Hawks are ready to make him a starter and have started exploring trade options for Clint Capela.

Per NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Hawks "would like to find a new home" for Capela prior to the Feb. 6 trade deadline to get something for him since he's in the final season of his contract.

It's a little strange the Hawks would look to subtract from their roster because they've been a pleasant surprise so far this season. They just advanced to the semifinals of the NBA Cup, winning a group that included the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.

No one is going to confuse the Hawks for a title contender with a 14-13 record overall, but they could certainly be a playoff team in the Eastern Conference that currently only has seven teams over the .500 mark.

Taking a long-term view of things, the Hawks are better off seeing if they can add future draft capital or possibly even a young player in exchange for Capela. He's 30 years old and has seen his role on the team decline as Okongwu has become an integral part of head coach Quin Snyder's rotation.

ESPN's Bobby Marks noted the Hawks are $1.3 million under the luxury tax and has four trade exceptions ranging from $3.7 million to $25.3 million that could be used. Their most glaring needs are for a perimeter defender and backup point guard to ease the burden on Trae Young.

The Hawks left no doubt about their belief in Okongwu when they signed him to a four-year, $62 million extension in October 2023. He is still coming off the bench as the backup center, but they are both averaging 25.0 minutes per game since the start of last season.

Okongwu is scoring more than Capela this season (11.3 points per game to 10.0). Capela has the advantage in rebounding (9.4 to 6.6) and blocks (1.0 to 0.6). He's still an effective player who provides quality defense in the paint for a contending team looking for help at center.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are headed to the 2024 NBA Cup Finals.

The star duo combined for 57 points on Saturday night to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 110-102 NBA Cup semifinal victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

The Bucks ADVANCE to the #EmiratesNBACup Championship! pic.twitter.com/ejvi45EP4z

— NBA (@NBA) December 15, 2024

The Bucks will take on either the Houston Rockets or Oklahoma City Thunder for the in-season tournament title next week.

Milwaukee led at the half on Saturday night, but a big third quarter by Hawks guard Trae Young left the Bucks trailing by one point heading into the fourth.

14 in the quarter for Trae ❄️ pic.twitter.com/7aPBexRDQq

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) December 14, 2024

The Bucks stormed back to regain the lead in the final 15 minutes, then held on to the advantage thanks to strong defense from Antetokounmpo.

UNREAL BLOCK BY GIANNIS! pic.twitter.com/Uw4StJjRqu

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) December 14, 2024

Antetokounmpo finished out the win leading the Bucks with 32 points and 14 rebounds, while adding nine assists and four blocks.

The victory marked the fifth straight game during which Antetokounmpo has contributed at least 30 points. He also topped 10 rebounds in four of those five outings.

I have always been a believer in Giannis Antetokounmpo… but that block just re-baptized me! 🤯 #NBACup

— Chiney Ogwumike (@chiney) December 14, 2024

Giannis is going to have a compilation of blocked alleys lol

— Dom2K 🎅🎇 (@Dom_2k) December 14, 2024

Giannis is one of the guys in the league you must see in person at least once.

— Raj C. (@RajChipalu) December 14, 2024

When you factor in defense, like we all should, Giannis is the MVP and the best player in the world.

— Jay (@ntajayb) December 14, 2024

Lillard meanwhile contributed 25 bounds, six rebounds, seven assists and three steals while stepping up in the fourth quarter to help the Bucks seal the win.

DAME DOING WHAT HE DOES. pic.twitter.com/Fy4LJiUqRO

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) December 15, 2024

Giannis not having to touch the ball down the stretch of (MOST) games because he has Dame and Middleton is such a luxury.

I personally love the fit. Giannis dominates for most of the game and then Dame takes over the last five minutes.

— Swipa (@SwipaCam) December 15, 2024

They were talking about the Bucks should trade Giannis or Dame LOL

— AHMAD K SMITH (@AKISNBA) December 15, 2024

Bucks still got Prime Giannis and Dame.

Always a threat

— AP (@BStapIes) December 15, 2024

Young led the Hawks in the loss with a game-high 35 points while adding ten rebounds.

The outing marked his 83rd career game with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds, the fifth most in NBA history, according to Hawks PR.

Trae Young is doing EVERYTHING for the Hawks rn. This is beautiful to watch

— The Hood Therapist (@OhhMar24) December 14, 2024

Trae Young’s commitment to give real effort on the defensive end this year has been something. Just full sprinted out of a wing double team to close to the opposite corner to prevent a 3, then chased Green over the hand off to block a 3.

— Kieran Reynolds (@KJ_Reynolds_) December 14, 2024

It's hard not to love this Hawks team, man. They play so hard. They're so athletic. They move the ball. If those young wings can just go from bad to average at shooting they'll really have something.

— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) December 14, 2024

There are three teams left in NBA Cup contention following the Hawks' elimination. The Rockets and Thunder tip off their own semifinal game at 8:30 p.m. ET.

An in-season title will be on the line when Antetokounmpo, Lillard and the Bucks return to face one of those two opponents in the NBA Cup Final next Tuesday.

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers gave Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young a great compliment ahead of the teams' NBA Cup semifinals battle on Saturday in Las Vegas.

"He's earned the trust of his players," Rivers said after the Bucks' Friday practice, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "This team likes playing with him. That's obvious. I couldn't say that in the past, but now they love playing with him."

Rivers' comments come as Atlanta has impressed on the court this season en route to a 14-12 record. Young is averaging 21.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and a career-high 12.2 assists per game, showcasing his ability to spread the ball around to his teammates.

The Hawks have clearly improved after disappointing en route to a 36-46 mark last year. Atlanta notably has two wins over the 21-4 Cleveland Cavaliers and a victory against the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics. The Hawks have also won seven of their last eight to roll into the NBA Cup semifinals against a Bucks team they beat 119-104 on Dec. 4.

And now the Hawks are looking to beat the Bucks again en route to the NBA Cup finals. Tipoff in Vegas is set for Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.

The Atlanta Hawks are expected to hear out trade offers for veteran players, potentially including Bogdan Bogdanović, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps.

"Given where the Hawks are, once again in the play-in race, if teams begin calling about their veterans, sources said, Atlanta will listen," Bontemps wrote.

Players likely to stay put in Atlanta past February are 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher alongside Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels and Onyeka Okongwu, per Bontemps. The Hawks want to "build around" these four players moving forward, according to Bontemps.

Atlanta could meanwhile consider moving Bogdanović. The veteran guard is a player other teams are "curious about" in part because of the manageable money remaining on his contract, according to Bontemps.

Bogdanović is playing on a four-year, $68 million extension that kicked in last season.

He is set to make $17.3 million this season and just over $16 million the next, with a $16 million player option through 2027, per Spotrac.

That could make him an appealing trade target for teams limited in how much salary they can take on in trades this season.

Four teams are above the second apron and can't aggregate player salaries in deals, per Spotrac. Five more are above the first apron and can't take on more incoming salary than outgoing salary in a trade. And at least 10 more are close enough to the luxury tax threshold to be wary of taking on too much additional salary before the deadline.

Bogdanović could potentially be an option if any of these teams are looking to shore up their guard depth before the Feb. 6 deadline, although early-season injury concerns have raised questions about his availability going forward.

He missed 13 games early this season amid recovery from a shoulder injury and has been sporadically sidelined since his return, but is averaging 11.9 points in 25 minutes per night when available.