5 roster moves the Atlanta Hawks need to make the offseason

5 roster moves the Atlanta Hawks need to make this offseason: 4. Get a second star

One thing that the Hawks are lacking is star power. Yes, Trae Young is a bona fide star with the All-NBA selection this season to prove it. He was electric in the playoffs last season, announcing that he had truly arrived as a player against the Knicks, then the Philadelphia 76ers, before an ankle injury against the Milwaukee Bucks cruelly ended the Hawks’ playoff run.

Still, an Eastern Conference Finals exit in your first-ever playoffs, all while losing to the eventual champion, is a pretty impressive effort. Especially since Young injured himself in a freak occurrence by stepping on an official’s foot. Had he remained on the floor, fully healthy, there is no telling how far the Hawks could have gone last year.

This result led the franchise to focus on talent retention last offseason, and they slipped down the standings as a result. It became increasingly evident in their first-round playoff matchup against the Miami Heat this season that they needed a second star, as the Heat defense is perfectly set up to stop Young. It would certainly ease the pressure on the talented point guard if they had a second star.

There have been rumors that the Hawks are looking at players like Donovan Mitchell, Jerami Grant, Ben Simmons, and even Rudy Gobert. One thing is for sure – the Hawks need a second scorer that the opposition defense respects to ensure Young has more opportunity to initiate the offense for himself and his teammates with less pressure on him.