The NBA trade deadline has come and gone and the Hawks made moves that brought in veterans with deep playoff experience.
The Hawks acquired Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks and two pick swaps from the Cavaliers in exchange for De’Andre Hunter. They also acquired Terance Mann, Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland and three second-round picks from the Clippers for Bogdan Bogdanovic.
LeVert, Mann and Niang have each made deep runs in the playoffs and bring that knowledge to a young Hawks team still in the midst of shaping its identity. The team has also dealt with significant injuries that has contributed to a rapid slide out of the top six and to tenth place in the Eastern Conference standings.
To make room for the acquisitions of LeVert, Mann and Niang, the Hawks waived forward David Roddy.
“This season alone, it’s challenging, and so for (Hunter, Bogdanovic and Roddy), these (moves) are never easy, but I’m excited for their opportunity elsewhere, and sad it couldn’t be here,” Hawks general manager Landry Fields said on Friday. “But at the same time, we have got players coming back that I’m thrilled to have in Terrence and Caris and Georges all having productive seasons themselves, and the types of players, when I talk about Hawks DNA, and they fit that.”
Fields has long valued the character of the players that he and the Hawks fill out the roster with. That did not change Friday when he discussed how decisions were made in advance of Thursday’s trade deadline. He also doubled down on the team’s long-term plans being a driving force in managing team’s assets.
Over the last two seasons, Hunter’s name frequently ended up in trade rumors. But the Hawks never pulled the trigger on proposed deals. They finally did in the midst of the 27-year-old’s best season of his career.
“These decisions are never easy,” Fields said. “A lot of times, it comes down to discerning, not necessarily between good and bad, but a good and better. And as I mentioned before, De’Andre is having a very good year, but with what I discern to be where we’re at, and ultimately where we want to go, you have to make certain decisions and certain transactions that are challenging.
“But ultimately, I think he’s going to land in a spot (where) they’re doing pretty well, and we’re excited for the return that we got. Like I said, it’s guys and players that we really enjoy, and we’re excited about, and also just the asset package, things that are going to help us continue to move forward.”
Unlikely to move forward with the Hawks is Hyland, who the team has plans to negotiate a buyout. Fields confirmed that the Hawks are currently working something else out with the 24-year-old guard but declined to go into detail about the negotiations.
Should the Hawks complete a buyout with Hyland, they’ll open up a roster spot and they could decide to promote one of their two-way players.
“We’ll see what it ultimately looks like with Bones and that roster spot,” Fields said. “But our two-way guys have been very good, and that’s a huge nod to our development and College Park.”
It all goes hand in hand with what Fields pointed to as the team’s mission to remain in a constant mode of building no matter the outcome. In the five seasons (two as assistant general manager) since his hire in 2020, the Hawks have made three playoff appearances, including a deep run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021.
While that has come with some frustration from fans about the lack of tangible results, Fields remains focused of on the ultimate goal of building a really good team.
“I will always sit up here and tell you, we’re always building, even if we’re coming off a championship,” Fields said. “You always have to evolve. If you don’t, you know, you slide into irrelevance. And I truly believe that. So for me and for the group that I represent in this franchise, I will always sit up here and say, we’re always thinking about what’s the next best thing, regardless of the results or outcomes that we’ve experienced before.”
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