Atlanta ranks near the top of B/R’s offseason drama rankings

For the first time since 2020, the Atlanta Hawks did not qualify for the NBA Playoffs and were sent home by the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Play-In tournament. After being the most talked about team heading into the trade deadline, the Hawks decided to stay put and do nothing. This is unlikely to be the case this summer.

It seems like most around the league expect the Hawks to split the duo of Dejounte Murray and Trae Young, but that might not be the only thing that happens. It appears the only player who won’t be traded is forward Jalen Johnson, who has shown he has tremendous potential. While they may not be the most talked about team this summer, they will be near the top.

And that’s why they ranked in the top ten in Bleacher Report’s offseason drama rankings of all 30 teams. Here’s what analyst Grant Hughes had to say about the Hawks’ ranking at No. 9:

“The Atlanta Hawks can’t blame their disappointing season on Trae Young’s injury, as they were only 24-32 when he went out with a torn ligament in his hand shortly after. after the trade deadline.

The improvement hoped for with a full season of Quin Snyder as head coach failed to materialize, every element of the supporting cast not named Bogdan Bogdanović or Jalen Johnson disappointed, and the Young-Dejounte Murray pair in backcourt failed.

Atlanta lost minutes played together by 6.3 points per 100 possessions, and the most-used lineup with Young and Murray posted a whopping minus-15.3 net rating in 628 possessions.

Murray could be the one to leave as the Hawks try to reshape the roster, but Young’s departure would be a bigger change. Regardless, general manager Landry Fields seems to understand that the verdict is in on his backcourt tandem.

He told reporters after the season: “The sample size is getting bigger and bigger and assuming you look at specific lineups and defensive and offensive grades… Yes, you’re starting to see that more and more more. And yeah, I can’t lie to you, the numbers speak for themselves on that.”

Johnson’s extension negotiations could get interesting and several other players could be on the block. But the possibility of a deal that ousts Young, long considered a cornerstone of the franchise, would be a seismic shift. »

It should be noted that the Hawks did not make Young available for trade and Young did not request to be traded. This is just speculation and I still think Young will stay in Atlanta once all is said and done this summer. It appears Atlanta is headed toward breaking up its backcourt consisting of Young and Dejounte Murray, but that could mean Murray is the one who gets traded. Atlanta was shopping Murray this season.

Although trade discussions will dominate this offseason, the first big day of the offseason will be Sunday. The 2024 NBA Draft Lottery takes place this Sunday and for the first time since 2020, the Hawks will be involved. This could be the Hawks’ last pick for the foreseeable future due to Murray’s trade to the Spurs, which would make him all the more important. Atlanta’s position heading into the draft is 10th and they have a 13.9% chance of landing in the top four picks and a 3.0% chance of landing the No. 1 pick. The Hawks have never had much luck in the lottery, but that could change starting tomorrow.

This summer has the potential to be one of the craziest NBA offseasons in recent memory. Many teams could rebuild their roster and Atlanta could be one of them.