Rumors of rival interest in Hawks trade ‘haven’t gone away’: Insider

The Atlanta Hawks are still in a strong position, even in a draft, without a true superstar prospect and without one of the best available, which makes him less so.

Alexandre Sarr’s representatives are apparently looking to avoid the Hawks in the draft.

Atlanta’s options at No. 1 would then appear to be between Donovan Clingan and Zaccharie Risacher. However, rumors of trade interest from the San Antonio Spurs could give the Hawks some of their negotiating leverage back.

“Rumble about San Antonio’s interest in going from No. 4 to No. 1 by building a trade with the Hawks haven’t left,” Marc Stein of The Stein Line wrote on June 22.

Spurs are said to be top of the list on Risacher at the top spot.

A trade would allow the Hawks to acquire additional assets such as draft picks or players and potentially still have a chance to land Clingan, who figures to be the most out-of-the-box contributor of the top three prospects.

He also has a fan in Hawks head coach Quin Snyder, who spoke with Clingan’s college coach Dan Hurley as the big man showed off a better shooting touch during a private training.

There is an inherent risk in this strategy.

Clingan is on several teams’ radar with his projected ability to anchor a defense immediately and the promise of what potentially extending his range could mean for his ceiling. Going down more than one place leaves the possibility for another team to step in and grab it.

That could be a reason why Hawks general manager Landry Fields said they plan to make the pick at No. 1.

Stein notes that some rival teams are still skeptical about it However.

While the No. 1 pick may be on the line, the Hawks are also expected to split their star backcourt this offseason. While Trae Young’s name has been brought up, Dejounte Murray’s has remained a constant.

He went from ignoring trade rumors during the season to recognizing that they were charging him to perform better.

For the Hawks, the decision could depend on the offers that are on the table.

“As soon as they make pick No. 17 in this month’s draft, the Lakers will be able to trade that pick with first-round picks in 2029 and 2031, which that should be enough to land Murray of the Hawks,” wrote ESPN’s Jonathan Givony on June 20.

This route makes the most sense if the Hawks plan to embark on a full rebuild, as draft capital would help speed up the process.

Otherwise, standing firm on their stance could be the quickest way to return to competition.