Entering the 2024-25 season, the Atlanta Hawks may be one of the hardest teams to predict. They traded All-Star Dejounte Murray over the summer but got number one overall pick Zachary Risasher in the NBA draft.
They also still have Trae Young, who is still one of the most talented offensive players in the NBA. Even still, they may struggle to make the playoffs but don't have their 2025 first-round pick. That takes tanking off the table even if they may still end up being a lottery team. That puts the Hawks between a rock and a hard place, with the San Antonio Spurs owning their pick.
However, there is a potential solution that could help both the Hawks and the Spurs out long-term. The Spurs are probably hoping that the Hawks will be as bad as possible, which would give them an outside chance at selecting first overall in the 2025 draft. That would give them a shot at selecting projected first-overall pick Cooper Flagg and pairing him with their own rising star, Victor Wembanyama.
That probably won't happen, however, with the Hawks having no incentive to be that bad. Up next, we will take a look at a creative trade that might benefit both the Hawks and Spurs.