ESPN analyst calls Atlanta franchise ‘stuck at a standstill’

The Atlanta Hawks are one of the most interesting teams this NBA offseason. The 2024 NBA Draft is less than a week away and Atlanta is on the clock after winning the draft lottery. Additionally, Atlanta needs to figure out what to do with the Trae Young/Dejounte Murray backcourt, as well as other veteran players such as Clint Capela and De’Andre Hunter. The Hawks have a lot of maneuvering to do if they want to get back into the NBA playoffs.

Because the Hawks have so many decisions to make, it’s difficult to project them for the upcoming season. In a new article for ESPN. NBA analyst Tim Bontemps ranked every NBA team into tiers and the Hawks landed in the “stuck in neutral” tier:

Total players under contract: 12
Projected salary cap space: None
Total tradable first-round picks: three picks, four trades

And then: “Atlanta defied all odds to rise to the top of this year’s draft, which, even in a disappointing lottery, remains a boon for a Hawks team that hoped to be solidly in the playoffs before falling in play -in But beyond deciding who to take at the top of the draft, the other obvious question hanging over the Hawks is whether they should go with Dejounte Murray or Trae Young after the blockbuster trade to acquire Murray. of the Spurs resulted in two early eliminations in the playoffs.

Right now, it’s hard to argue with that, but landing the No. 1 pick, even in a draft like this, helps Atlanta. Assuming they select Zacharie Risacher or Donovan Clingan, those are two players that fit in Trae Young and Jalen Johnson. Trading Dejounte Murray and Clint Capela could also give them more assets to put around these players. While I don’t know if the Hawks can take steps to put them in title contention next season, I think there are ways the Hawks can become a much better team and have a better prospect. ‘future.

Every team in the Eastern Conference except the Celtics is questioning whether they are legitimate contenders, leaving the door open for a team like Atlanta to surprise. The Pacers had a good run to the Conference Finals this season, but it would be remiss not to mention that they beat the Giannis-less Bucks all series and Damian Lillard missed two games. When they beat the Knicks in seven games, New York was without Julius Randle, Bojan Bogdanovic and Mitchell Robinson. OG Anunoby also missed time on the show. No run to the Conference Finals should be looked down upon, but the Pacers broke it all. They may not be so lucky next year.

The Knicks appear to be the team that could most likely come back to compete with Boston, but what if Anunoby looks elsewhere in free agency? If Isaiah Hartenstein leaves in free agency, will the Knicks have a replacement? New York could certainly be the biggest threat to Boston, but questions arise.

Milwaukee has the best player in the East, but their team is aging and doesn’t have much room to improve. Milwaukee has never been an elite team this season either. Should we trust them to be the No. 2 team?

Cleveland could look like a much different team in October and it’s hard to say where they’ll land due to the uncertainty around the roster. They could be at the top of the standings if Donovan Mitchell re-signs and they make the right moves in the lineup. Cleveland is in a similar situation to Atlanta this offseason, but with a better recent history.

Philadelphia has potential, but their roster is going to look brand new around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. They also don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt because they have disappointed time and time again. Could they get Paul George to team up with Embiid and Maxey? Recent reports suggest this is unlikely. What if they attacked all their main targets?

Miami appears to be in a tough situation heading into next season. That’s not to say Pat Riley can’t find a way to get through it, but their roster is aging and they weren’t very good last season.

Unless a big change happens, it’s hard to see Brooklyn, Toronto, Charlotte, Detroit and Washington getting any closer to the playoff conversation in 2024-25. Brooklyn is the most likely to leave the group and could pose a threat if things go the right way for them.

Which brings us back to Atlanta. The Hawks also have big questions heading into next year. What’s going on with Trae Young and Dejounte Murray’s backcourt? Who will the Hawks take with the No. 1 pick? Will other veteran players like Clint Capela, De’Andre Hunter or Bogdan Bogdanovic also be on the trip?

While there are tons of questions, this team could be a lot better, but it depends on the decisions the front office makes. I think the Hawks’ highest ceiling would be with Young leading the way, but they’ve done a poor job building a roster around him. That could change this offseason.

Atlanta has a chance to grab some pieces in trades involving Murray and Capela, the two players who seem most likely to be dealt this offseason, they have the top pick in the draft after getting lucky with how the lottery played out . This is a chance to surround Young with better pieces around him, much like the Dallas Mavericks did last offseason and at the trade deadline this year. These decisions resulted in a trip to the NBA Finals. I don’t think Atlanta can make enough moves to reach that level, but reaching the top half of the Eastern Conference isn’t out of the question.

Without knowing the specific moves they’re making and what other East teams are doing, it’s difficult to make a firm prediction on where Atlanta will be next year. It’s not crazy to say that there is a big gap behind the Boston Celtics in the East and each team behind them has some questions to answer this season in terms of roster construction. With the right moves, Atlanta could make a surprising return to the top half of the Eastern Conference next season.

It’s up to the Hawks’ decision-makers to put them in that position this offseason.