Report: Atlanta Hawks Generating ‘Star’ Trade Speculation Among Rival Execs
· Yahoo Sports
The Atlanta Hawks turned the page on the Trae Young era during the 2025-26 season, as they sent him to the Washington Wizards in a January trade.
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The deal marked the end of a memorable tenure for the star guard, but it was time for a change. Now, All-NBA forward Jalen Johnson is running the show in Atlanta.
As the franchise transitions into its new chapter, it has had a busy offseason. Just a few days back, for instance, the Hawks struck a deal to acquire defensive stopper Lu Dort as part of a three-team trade that had a number of moving parts.
Moves like that are important, but they could also be setting the table for something more. According to a report, multiple rival execs around the NBA have noted that the Hawks are now in a position where they could combine salaries and draft capital to make a run at a star player via trade.
"Multiple rival team executives have noted this week that the Hawks, after adding Dort, are flush with the sort of mid-tier salaries that could be easily packaged with draft capital to make a run at a star who becomes available via trade," wrote NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer.
This offseason has featured a handful of blockbuster trades around the NBA with stars switching teams. The headliners have been Giannis Antetokounmpo landing with the Miami Heat, Jaylen Brown landing with the Philadelphia 76ers and Kawhi Leonard landing with the Toronto Raptors (possibly).
Beyond those stars, a number of other household names have been moved as well.
It all goes to show that while stars aren't always available via trade, that can change suddenly. There's no telling when the next franchise-altering talent will hit the market, but when that does happen, the Hawks could be in a strong position to make a push.
For now, they are in line to have Johnson function as the franchise of their franchise. Originally drafted at No. 20 overall in 2021, it all came together for him in the 2025-26 season, as he had a career year en route to All-Star and All-NBA honors.
Johnson finished the season averaging 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from deep. His efforts helped the team earn an outright playoff bid in the Eastern Conference, even though Young appeared in just 10 games and then was traded.
Atlanta has a ton of young pieces to be excited about, but if the team can also add another star to the fold at some point, the sky may be the limit. The future is looking bright for a Hawks franchise that is still in search of its first playoff series win since 2021.