ATLANTA — The Atlanta Hawks are coming off signing Dejounte Murray to an extension and dealing John Collins among recent major moves, bringing their future into clearer focus.
The clearing of Collins in particular creates an obvious direction - and need - for the team, which has yet to build on their surprise run to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals in the last two years.
They need defensive solidity, and they could probably use a power forward now.
They're doesn't mean by any stretch they're definitely going to make another move this offseason - Jalen Johnson could be seen as a starting option, or like many teams do these days they could adopt a non-traditional starting five with some combo of De'Andre Hunter, Bogan Bogdanovic, Saddiq Bey or even A.J. Griffin filling in as hybrid 3/4s.
But there's one popular name out there on the trade market who would certainly fit the current Hawks setup like a glove - Toronto's Pascal Siakam.
Siakam, 29, is a free agent after next season, so there's naturally been a lot of speculation about the Toronto Raptors moving him before he could potentially just leave on his own. The Hawks are reportedly one of the major players in negotiations.
He'd bring defensive solidity, rim pressure and the ability for the Hawks to sometimes go to small-ball lineups featuring him as a center - an obvious pick-and-roll partner for Young and Murray and a creator off the dribble who can draw defensive attention away from the Hawks' backcourt shooters. He'd be perfect, essentially, in a lot of ways.
But can the Hawks actually get him?
Where things stand with Pascal Siakam
Rumors appeared to heat up over the weekend when Young followed Siakam on Instagram - a modern day way fans read the tea leaves on potential NBA moves (that, to be clear, often amount to nothing, though Young also followed Murray in advance of that trade before last season).
A longtime well-connected NBA reporter, Marc Stein, has also been detailing Atlanta's heavy interest lately.
The Hawks have a lot of pieces to make it happen - future first-round picks, Hunter and recent picks Kobe Bufkin, Griffin, Johnson or possibly even Onyeka Okongwu could all be utilized in a Siakam deal.
So what's standing in the way?
For one, Toronto has developed a reputation lately as asking for a lot in trade talks - not just with Siakam, but also O.G. Anunoby. The Hawks have a lot of ways they could put together a package, but they might understandably balk at wanting to deal all of Johnson, Griffin, Bufkin, picks and who knows what more.
Then there's Siakam - Stein has also reported he might be "resistant" to a trade to the Hawks. Whether that's true or not is impossible to say - though he doesn't yet follow Trae back on Instagram.
Toronto might also be trying to keep Siakam around with their own contract extension.
So it really comes down to:
- Would the Raptors see a Hawks package as the best one available?
- Would Siakam be willing to come to Atlanta and sign an extension?
- Are the Raptors even committed to trading him in the first place?
The initial frenzy of rumors seems to be dying down, so Hawks fans may need to settle in for an extended wait-and-see on this one.