NBA Analyst Reveals Toughest Question for Atlanta Hawks Next Season

The offseason was expected to be a time of change for the Atlanta Hawks and that’s what happened. The team selected French forward Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick and made the decision to part ways with Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. Atlanta traded Murray to New Orleans for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance, EJ Liddell, Cody Zeller and two first-round picks. The Hawks are moving forward with Young as the centerpiece of their franchise and hope he can help the team return to the playoffs.

Just because the Hawks made the necessary changes doesn’t mean they don’t have questions about their team. Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report named what he thought would be the biggest question for the Hawks heading into next season and it was whether Trae Young is still the cornerstone of this franchise:

“Rumors of a potential Trae Young trade have been swirling for months. While the Dejounte Murray deal, which split the Atlanta Hawks’ mismatched backcourt, may have calmed things down for now, those rumors could resurface if Atlanta remains as mediocre as it has been recently.

If Young, who turns 26 in September, averages close to his career norms (25.5 points and 9.5 assists), improves his defensive effort and scores as efficiently as he did in his fourth season, he will likely finish the 2024-25 campaign as a Hawk.

If not, and if Jalen Johnson and new signing Zaccharie Risacher show signs of potential, Atlanta could be moving into a new era bolstered by the return Young could get in a trade.

Point guards have been crucial to the Boston Celtics’ 2024 title run. Meanwhile, small-framed point guards haven’t been the centerpiece of many title runs in NBA history. Do the Hawks want to continue swimming against the tide?

I think Young has already shown that he can be a cornerstone of this franchise, but the biggest problem has been the talent surrounding Young and how to build around him. While Dejounte Murray is a good player, trading him was a mistake and he and Young didn’t mesh well. Getting a defensive back like Dyson Daniels was huge for the Hawks and he and Risacher will be counted as the right pieces next to Young. The Risacher selection proved once again that the Hawks are looking to get bigger and longer at the power forward positions.

The biggest question for the Hawks heading into the season is whether these young players like Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Risacher and Onyeka Okongwu can show that they are the right pieces for the future. Johnson appears to be on track to be an All-NBA player and Daniels is already an elite defender. Okongwu is a very good player, but is he the long-term answer as a starting center? Is Risacher ready to be a contributor right away? One guy I haven’t mentioned yet who fits this category is second-year point guard Kobe Bufkin. Bufkin spent most of last season either in the G-League or injured. He showed high-level two-way ability, but more could be asked of him this season. For now, he would likely be the team’s backup point guard.

I like what the Hawks have done so far this offseason, but they still have a lot of questions to answer. Only time will tell if they have the right answers or if they’ll have to keep searching.