The Atlanta Hawks decided to move on from Trae Young last year. He had been the face of the franchise since he was taken fifth overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. Atlanta actually traded the chance to take Luka Doncic for Young, which ended up being a mistake.
Now, the Hawks are fully leaning into being built around Jalen Johnson. They even decided to trade former number-one overall pick Zaccharie Risacher. Another trade proposal from Bleacher Report would see them really go all-in to compete in a loaded East by trading for Domantas Sabonis.
Hawks Add Domantas Sabonis in All-In Trade Proposal
Here is the full trade idea:
Hawks Receive: Domantas Sabonis
Kings Receive: CJ McCollum, Luguentz Dort and a top-eight protected 2029 first-round pick
Adding Sabonis to the starting lineup would likely mean moving Onyeka Okongwu to the bench, although that changes how they play defense. Sabonis is not a rim protector. Johnson can block shots, but he is far from someone who can be relied on to erase all mistakes.
Trading McCollum would also leave a ball-handling hole on the roster. He is their de facto point guard, and they don’t really have anyone they trust right now to take over that spot. Sabonis is a phenomenal passer, so playing through him could help fix some of those issues.
Dort is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. However, his offensive game is not what the Hawks are looking for. Right now, Atlanta sits seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. They are hoping to find their way into the top six so that they avoid the play-in.
Sabonis is clearly unhappy playing for the Kings, and he will be one of the top trade targets at the trade deadline. However, his inability to be a strong force defensively could keep his trade value down, which might mean the Kings try to hang on to him.
Atlanta is Staying Frisky With Its Current Lineup
With the current roster, Atlanta is staying frisky with the rest of the league. Right now, they have the 17th-highest offensive rating in the league. They are looking for ways to increase their offensive efficiency, which is the best way to win in the East.
Sabonis has always been a superior rebounder, passer, and scorer. He would add value to almost any team. Since the Hawks are still trying to figure out how they want to play, adding him wouldn’t be a bad idea if they want to be more versatile.
The Hawks still have trade assets to make a big move. If they don’t decide to make a trade for Sabonis, they can still look at adding a different player to help them out. They will be a team to watch when the trade deadline gets closer. Atlanta could decide to make a move sooner than that, too.
Hawks Add Dynamic Big Man in All-In Trade Proposal