NBA Trades: 3 Eastern Conference teams that should make a splash

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 09: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks shoots defended by Eric Bledsoe #12 of the LA Clippers during the second half at Crypto.com Arena on January 09, 2022 in Los Angeles, California, NBA Trades: 3 Eastern Conference teams that should make a splash. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) /

NBA Trades: 3 East teams that need to make a splash – Atlanta Hawks

Why?: The Atlanta Hawks have been massively underwhelming this season. After making the Eastern Conference finals last year, Trae Young and company currently sit 12th in the East with an 18-25 record.

Clearly, this team needs a shakeup. Having gone backward from last year, the team needs to act swiftly to address the problems on the court or they risk facing further decline.

Moving Reddish provided a bit more clarity around the team’s future and ensured they will not have to pay him his extension, but the Hawks need to do more than simply get off players they do not want around for the long-term, especially considering how little back for Reddish.

A team with Young, for all his offensive talents, is always going to be limited on defense. But this season has gone way beyond being limited.

The Hawks have been consistently one of the worst defenses in the NBA. Atlanta has the third-worst defensive rating out of the entire league, giving up 113.8 points per 100 possessions, and is tied seventh-worst in opposition threes made per game at 13.1.

Atlanta simply cannot compete for the postseason, let alone for the title, with a defense that bad. De’Andre Hunter continuing to miss games due to injury has hurt the team, but they cannot simply rely on Hunter being healthy to be a good defensive team.

What does the team need?: The perimeter defense has been really poor this year, and the biggest thing Atlanta can do to get better is address it at the trade deadline.

Bringing in a player that can act as a stopper on the wing and, ideally, also provide some additional playmaking behind Young would be perfect as the Hawks look to get back on track.

The number of threes being given up per game is a huge concern. Opposition teams are shooting 36 percent from behind the arc this year against the Hawks, which ranks the team fifth-worst in that metric.

And while the team still gives up too many points in the paint per game (47.7) – the 11th worst in the league – this can still be traced back to a lack of resistance on the perimeter. The Hawks have Clint Capela to act as a deterrent inside but need to do better at stopping teams on the drive.

Possible targets?

Ben Simmons, Jerami Grant, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Dejounte Murray, Pascal Siakam