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2016 NBA Trade Deadline Grades For All 30 Teams

By Gerald Bourguet

Nov 30, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris (11) drives to the basket under pressure from Orlando Magic forward Tobias Harris (12) at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 30, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris (11) drives to the basket under pressure from Orlando Magic forward Tobias Harris (12) at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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NBA Trade Deadline
Apr 2, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich (12) drives to the basket past Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) in the first half against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports /

Atlanta Hawks

Leading up to the trade deadline, three of the Atlanta Hawks‘ four All-Stars from last season — Al Horford, Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver — were supposedly available. But when the offers that were rolling in weren’t enough for the front office, the Hawks decided to basically stand pat at the deadline — other than a minor three-team deal.

In Atlanta’s lone move of the 2016 NBA Trade Deadline, the Hawks sent backup point guard Shelvin Mack to the Utah Jazz for a future second round draft pick, as The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported. The Hawks later traded Justin Holiday to the Chicago Bulls for backup guard Kirk Hinrich in what became a three-team deal, per the Chicago Tribune’s K.C. Johnson.

In that three-team deal, the Hawks only got Hinrich (no pick), the Jazz got Mack and the Bulls got Holiday and Utah’s 2018 second-rounder (via Denver).

Essentially, the Hawks gave away Mack and Holiday for Hinrich. Hinrich may be the bigger name, but Mack is probably the better player. Though he’s only averaging 3.9 points and 1.6 assists in 7.5 minutes per game on dismal shooting splits (.421/.148/.750), he’s been buried in Atlanta’s rotation behind Teague and Dennis Schroder.

Likewise, Justin Holiday is averaging a meager 2.4 points in 10.1 minutes per game, but he proved he can play in his limited action with the Golden State Warriors last season, averaging 4.3 points in 11.1 minutes per game. With Mack only being 25 years old and Holiday being 26, trading for the 35-year-old Hinrich is…well, it’s not great.

This season, Captain Kirk is averaging 3.8 points and 1.7 assists in 15.9 minutes per game. He’s only shooting 39.8 percent from the floor, but luckily, he’s converted 41.1 percent of his three-pointers and his $2.9 million salary comes off the books this summer anyway.

We might be nitpicking here, but the Hawks virtually standing pat at the deadline — while turning two younger players in need of minutes into Hinrich — doesn’t do much for the “Mike Budenholzer for GM” argument. Now Atlanta may be doomed to perpetual “good, but not great” territory by failing to work out a trade for Horford to allow the team to rebuild.

By not moving him, the Hawks may have to commit to a five-year, $144.5 million max offer for Horford — or risk losing him for nothing in free agency. Holding off on moving Teague is probably the right call since it doesn’t seem like Schroder is ready to take over the wheel just yet, but the trade deadline was something of a disappointment for Atlanta.

Grade: C-

Next: Boston Celtics