The NBA Summer League is off and running, giving us a chance to see exciting new prospects that look to make an impact for NBA teams next season. The offseason also offers many trade rumors and speculation, where the Hawks are linked to several teams. Landry Fields, Travis Sclenk’s predecessor as the Hawk’s GM, is staying aggressive by looking to bring pieces that will increase the Hawk’s chances at winning a title.

2023 Rookies

With this year’s 15th and 46th picks, the Hawks took guards Kobe Bufkin and Seth Lundy, respectively. The Hawks also acquired the draft rights for the 39th pick Mouhamed Gueye. Like the past few years, the Hawks are drafting players that could play alongside Trae. Lundy and Bufkin are excellent shooters and serviceable defenders, as the Hawks lack consistent creators on the wings. Gueye is also an exciting project, as he has shown flashes of upside through his motor and length. Lundy and Gueye will likely spend most of their time developing with the College Park Skyhawks. Bufkin, on the other hand, might see some regular-season play due to injuries or rest. Bufkin has shown great promise in his summer league stint, coming off a game-winner yesterday. However, he needs to learn to take care of the ball better and shoot the ball more efficiently but he has shown great flashes on the defensive end. Snyder will most like to utilize Bufkin as a defensive specialist within his rotation.

Patty Mills to ATL

The Hawks acquired 14-year veteran guard Patty Mills in exchange for guard TyTy Washington Jr., forward Usman Garuba, forward Rudy Gay, and a future second-round pick. Mills adds some much-needed 3-PT shooting for the Hawks. I expect Snyder to use Mills and Bufkin interchangeably as the second/third-string guards, injected into the lineup when the offense needs shooting. With this trade, the Hawks saved $4.5 million to stay under the cap. This move could simply be to acquire more shooting, or this could be a precursor to another trade.

Spicy P on the Move?

There are rumors about the Hawks and the Toronto Raptors regarding forward Pascal Siakam. The trade package must include at least one promising young player, a salary filler, and some picks. For the Hawks, some young players they can theoretically give are AJ Griffin, Deandre Hunter, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, and Kobe Bufkin. Combined with salary filler, with Clint Capela being the only notable option, the Hawks could overpay for Pascal Siakam. While Siakam will instantly give the Hawks a scoring threat on the wing to pair with Trae and DJ, I am skeptical of the trade, depending on what the Hawks give up. If the Hawks were to give up Capela, it would make no sense also to trade his replacement, Okongwu. I would not be opposed to acquiring Siakam, as that would push the Hawks closer to contending for an NBA championship, but they would have to make sure not to give away too much depth and critical players. 

The Hawks are in a win-now mode, where they have to build around superstar Trae Young and cannot waste his prime years. Adding Siakam will give the Hawks a better shot at contending for the title, but all we can do is wait and see until the season starts.