Atlanta Hawks: Tim Hardaway Jr. Forcing Trade Deadline Decisions

Trade Hardaway While His Value Is Up

Prior to the Hawks reportedly taking a less proactive approach in exploring deals for Millsap, ESPN’s Zach Lowe reported on his Lowe Post podcast that Atlanta was also searching the market for a potential Hardaway suitor. In Lowe’s words from that early January podcast:

"“They’re already shopping Tim Hardaway for second round picks because they don’t want to pay him.”"

Although a lot has changed since then, including Hardaway’s production and importance to the team, it’s not difficult to understand why the Hawks would explore this particular route.

With Hardaway set to hit the open market at a time when the cap remains high and plenty of teams still possess significant cap space, it seems likely that he could field lucrative offers.

If the Hawks want no part of that process facing the possibility of a rebuild, there are a couple of different types of teams who they could target.

A team interested in making Hardaway a part of their long term plans could be willing to part with a young player and a second rounder in order to hold the right to match offers when Hardaway lands in restricted free agency.

By the same token, a contender in need of an offensive bench boost could also have use for a gunner like Hardaway.

If the Hawks feel Hardaway at his best will never be more than a serviceable rotation piece, trading for a pick that can go some way toward adding assets that may better suit their long term timeline would be an understandable decision.