Atlanta Considered New Orleans Pelicans’ Worst Potential Trade Target

While it’s just speculation, the Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Pelicans have been linked in trade rumors heading into the offseason and it’s not hard to see why . Both teams are looking to reshape their rosters and have pieces the other needs. New Orleans needs a point guard to run the offense and pair with Zion Williamson, while Atlanta needs wing players to give them more size. The Hawks will likely break down the backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray while New Orleans could move Brandon Ingram and perhaps others.

Although the two teams seem like natural trade partners, one analyst doesn’t believe Ingram would be a good fit in Atlanta. Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report called Atlanta the worst choice for Ingram, while Minnesota was the best choice for him.

“The Atlanta Hawks appear to be active on the trade market this summer as they look to move Trae Young or Dejounte Murray. Ingram could be taken in those frames.

Regardless of whether Ingram was alongside Young or Murray in Atlanta, he would not only have to be number two on offense, but he wouldn’t be as protected on the other end.

Minnesota has the infrastructure to not just hide Ingram defensively. This can help him become positive. However, a lineup of Young and Ingram could be torched defensively. »

While Ingram isn’t my favorite trade target for the Hawks, I actually think he’s a better fit than that suggests. Atlanta will simply be about getting the right pieces to put around him and whoever point guard they keep. If it’s Young, it will be even more true. Atlanta will still have Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu and whoever they take with the No. 1 pick.

New Orleans has a plethora of wing players that Atlanta could covet while New Orleans needs a point guard for its offense. Would the Pelicans try to trade for one of the Hawks’ guards and if so, which one would they prefer? Christian Clark of nola.com suggested a few weeks ago that the Pelicans might have more interest in Murray than Young.

“The Pelicans had contact with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks before the February trade deadline. Expect those talks to resume this summer. The Cavaliers and Hawks have three All-Star guards between them, namely Darius Garland, Dejounte Murray and Trae Young, who could be available.

“If the Pelicans re-sign the Hawks, they could look to move away from Murray or Young. Even though Young is the more talented player, the Pelicans appear to be more interested in Murray, league sources said. The 6-5 Murray isn’t as much of a defensive liability as the 6-1 Young can be. He also has a cheaper contract; Murray will make $25.5 million next season, while Young is owed $43 million.

Clark also noted the relationship between Zion Williamson and Young:

One of the interesting subplots in all of this: In 2019, the Hawks were one of the teams Williamson’s camp hoped would land the No. 1 pick. Williamson even tapped the Hawks logo right before the picks were announced. 2019 draft lottery results.

All signs suggested that Williamson and Young previously had a mutual interest in playing together. Last month, Rayford Young, Trae’s father, indicated on social media that this may still be the case.

You can read the entire article here.

Former Hawks All-Star point guard Jeff Teague said on an episode of his podcast, the Club 520 Podcast, that he thought a trade involving Murray and Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram was going to happen:

“I say they’re going to trade Dejounte Murray for Brandon Ingram. I think they’re going to do it straight up.”

At 6’8 190 LBS, Ingram checks off the size the Hawks need and he also checks the playmaking box. Whether he has the ball in his hands or not, Ingram can either get his own shot or set up one. others. He averaged nearly six assists per game over the past three seasons and was a good shot creator for the Pelican offense. He had a rough offensive run against the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs this season, but being with Young or Murray would open up a lot of things for him.

However, he is not a perfect fit for Atlanta, especially from a defensive standpoint. If he were to be paired with Young, he would add to the team’s defensive issues, but they could be overcome because while he is not a great defender, he is not one of the worst in the league and he at least has size. . The other thing would be his three-point shooting, as it has fluctuated a bit over the years. He shot 35.5% from three this year, up from 39% last year. The year before, he shot 32 percent. There is an inconsistency with his three-point shot.

Ingram is also entering the final year of his contract and will need a new one after next season. Obviously, if the Hawks trade for him, they’ll give him a new contract, but that would also tie him and the team’s point guard up. Also consider that Jalen Johnson will be extension eligible this offseason, meaning Atlanta could have a lot of money tied up in Young/Murray, Ingram, the No. 1 pick (unless he’s traded), and Johnson . This would be the core of the Hawks if they made this trade and they would have to hope that it could bring them more success than they have had recently in the playoffs.

We’ll have to see what both teams plan to do this summer, but Atlanta and New Orleans could be looking to reshape their rosters. They also make natural business partners.

Ingram would bring a lot of upside to the Hawks and it appears New Orleans might be willing to move him. Let’s see what happens this summer.