Dragitoff

My response was directly to a poster who continuously states their record was the same without Trae when discussions come up about trading DJ vs. Trae. I understand how any business works. Lower salaries with your highest paid employees generally means you have more finances for greater depth at the medium and entry positions. It definitely gets more difficult to maintain that continuity and success without a doubt, but that's what teams scouting, GM's and other decisions makers are paid to do. You have to supplement talent with complimentary talent that fits within your budgetary constraints. As the COO of a large company, what I wouldn't do is get rid of a critical cog in our company who makes those around them better for a guy fresh out of school who might be cheap, but lacks the skills and experience to make a difference for the hope that he eventually pans out to be the guy I replaced him with. In the rare chance he does become that guy, by the time he does, it's time to pay him and the cycle repeats itself.

I think it's valid. I like Bogi off the bench, even if he's playing starter-type minutes. His secondary playmaking is a sorely needed thing for this team, especially when Trae goes to the bench. His pull on defenses who have to closely defend his shooting will help open lanes for guys like Dyson Daniels should he be part of a trade with NO. DD can't shoot so he needs other shooters around him to open the lane. His POA defense would help mask some of Bogi's limitations. It's funny, I worry more about the starters than what the bench would be should some of these deals come to pass. FWIW, I'm not a Wiggins fan. I chose him because he's generally considered as a negative value contract and some would argue Hunter is as well. During GSW's last title run, he was their best wing defender. He's also been a really good scorer on bad teams. Could he take over as our perimeter stopper and be someone who occasionally lights it up? I think his deal is a year shorter than Hunters as well.

Reality-Team led by Trae made the ECF. Team led by DJ was a lottery team. Those were the ceilings so far for each player. Your rationale of "the team played better without Trae" is skewed vs. the larger sample size. I think the ECF run could've been a fluke and the worst thing that happened to this team over the long-term, but DJ's best statistical seasons were playing alongside Trae. Trae's numbers have been elite regardless of who he has played with. DJ is a really good player. He's not a player to build around. I disagree with your opinion and believe Trae is a player to build around. A flawed player, but a cornerstone piece. As bad of a defender as Trae is accused of being, DJ was brought in to be our perimeter stopper. Despite that reputation, our defense has actually been as bad or even worse with him here. He's not the answer.

In my original post, I threw out 2 hypothetical trade scenarios featuring players who are or were regarded at one time as solid wing defenders. Herb Jones is the golden goose of what we'd like as a wing defender, but he's not currently available. Can a wing rotation of Ingram/Wiggins (starters) and Bogi/Daniels (bench) defend enough and score enough or is that setting our sights too low?

Kind of like quitting a job you know you're about to get fired from?

I don't think it's a majority. It is frustrating though.

There's a ton of discussion about Trae vs. DJ, Capela vs. OO, etc. There's also the clear understanding that you have to surround Trae with defenders and guys that can hit 3's. In theory, Dre fits that bill perfectly, but in reality, he can't stay on the floor consistently. He disappears a lot as well, but honestly, I've got less complaints with that than his overall health. In a reasonable sample size, he performed exceptionally off the bench last season, but it's rare you see a team paying a player like what he's making for 20-24 MPG, especially one with tight purse strings like the Hawks have generally operating in. I saw it stated a few days ago on this forum, if there was a deal to be made for Hunter, it would've already been made. While that may very well be true, I also wonder how this front office really values Hunter and his place on this team if Trae or anyone else is leading the charge. Is he viewed as a negative asset and only kind of deals would be swapping for someone like Andrew Wiggins, who is also considered a negative asset currently, but has the potential to be an improvement in the right situation? If Detroit misses out on Tobias Harris (how sad is your franchise that he's your primary, and realistic target?) or other FA's, would they entertain a deal to absorb Hunter's contract while sending back someone like Quentin Grimes? If so, is that a deal the Hawks should entertain? I really can't pin down Hunter's value so I'm hopeful some candid discussions here can enlighten us all.

Dude is the fastest 7 footer I've ever seen too! To me, that might be his most appetizing trait.

Couldn't agree more. I also don't think Trae is pushing for a trade behind the scenes. I think he's laying the foundation that if things don't change he might do that in the future, but not yet.

I've honestly tried my best to ignore the trade Trae comments. Until Trae asks for a trade, I can't see why the Hawks entertain such a proposal. Stay off Bleacher Report Communities too. The insanity and lack of coherence of trade Trae is next level there. At least most posters here are knowledgeable, respectful and true Hawks fans. The idiocy there is painful and frankly gives Hawks fans a bad rep.

Agreed. Let's trade a top 15 (arguably better than that) player in the league who loves being in Atlanta, continues working to improve his game each year, and involves his teammates for the hopes that we get another player that eventually becomes that. Trae has his flaws, but trading him essentially makes us a worse team or at best, the same level team. We don't have all our own draft picks so you're not bottoming out and rebuilding. The takes on trade him for picks make no sense unless you simply get our own picks back from SA.

KG would be a 5 in today's game. If Sarr comes even close to KG's level, it'll be amazing. That's high praise as KG brought it on both ends every single night. He talked the talk and walked the walk. Someone with his type of intensity is what this team needs.

I wonder how much of this conversation changes since the Hawks got the first pick? I caught up on this weekend's hot takes and debates yet I see nothing since the draft lottery yesterday to speak of. If BI/Dyson and any combo of picks is the deal for DJ/OO or Capela, we need to prioritize an elite POA defender. Dyson might be that, but his shot probably keeps him out of any starting lineup. We'd be perimeter shooting deprived as it is. We'd need him on the floor with elite floor spacers like Bogi. I think a realistic target would need to be S&T of Okoro. He's the kind of player we need in that starting lineup. Not flashy. Not elite at anything offensive, and doesn't need to score to make an impact. Herb Jones light is who he is.

I like Risacher. His length and projection as a long 3&D player makes him appealing to me.

I hope and pray that is accurate, but I've been a Hawks fan too long to just believe that. I have to see it before I'll believe it and even if they start the season in the LT, I would still expect them to make a move to get under it.

If we can duck the LT, which you know we will do, I think PJ Tucker could be a sneaky pickup. He's obviously at the end of his career and not the shut down defender he once was, but he's the archetype of what we're missing. Gritty defender that can hit a 3. His shot profile is almost 100% 3PA. He also doesn't need to be involved offensively to make an impact on the game.

Before the injury, I thought Bey was a possibility to accept to QO since his shooting (one of his greatest skills) was off this year and he might bet on himself to rebound. Now, I think the QO might be too much for a guy who should be a bench rotation piece, but will only play 3 months or so of the season at best. Problem is the Hawks gave up a lot of draft capital (even if they were all 2nds) for him and I think Quinn likes him a lot. I like Bey, but I worry we'll retain him at the cost of someone who brings more to the table. The one bright side to him missing time next year is it might force the team to play some of the younger guys a little to help see what we have there.

I also thought Detroit was interested in Hunter. They have cap room which looks like they're aiming for Tobias Harris with it. Would they trade us Grimes and a future protected FRP for Hunter? We'd keep salary relief, a future pick and an expiring 3&D wing.

Dre for Klay?

It's really sad Klay Thompson has fallen off the cliff. He is what we need and could be had for a reasonable S&T most likely. Unfortunately, the injuries and father time have clearly taken their toll on him. He has size at the 2, could defend most guards and wings, and could shoot the 3 with the best of them.

I think we also have a guy with loads of potential that could be Murray on a rookie scale contract in Bufkin.

If we could get Suggs and Isaac from Orlando, that's a trade that helps us with defense and Isaac also adds size. He doesn't help with health as he can't stay on the floor. I also know that trading within the division is tough and Orlando might be reluctant to give up two rotation pieces from a team that just made the playoffs for the first time with this core.

I wasn't referring to the few games he started. I was making a blanket statement over the entirety of the season. He started slowly and did get better as the season progressed, but he missed plenty of games due to injury and didn't make the jump most of us expected him to make. Clint clearly regressed this year and it created an opening for OO that I don't think he fully took advantage of. I'd still take him over Capela even next season. I just think it's less of a given that he's the long-term answer for this squad than maybe it was this same time last year.

I don't think Hunter's knees allow him to guard 2's anymore. I also don't know that JJ shoots enough yet for him to be the primary 3. Watching Mitchell dismantle Orlando's elite defense and length because they didn't have guards that could defend him and Garland both was part of Orlando's undoing. It's a big part of why our defense is so bad. Trae's defensive shortcomings are well known, but Murray's rep as a POA defender was either wildly wrong or he slipped. I'm not a defensive metric guru so I don't know which it was. All I know is he struggled to consistently be the defender he was supposed to be for us.

One more point I failed to make. OO at center absolutely can work if we have the right personnel around him at the 2 and 3. Jalen is fine for what you want size wise at the 4 and he can rebound well for the position. He has the potential to switch as well. If you get size at the 3 via draft (Rissacher, Buzelis, etc), trade, or FA, you could be good long-term.