Between the 2024 NBA draft and any potential trades, the Atlanta Hawks have more options this summer than 29 other teams. Already facing a decision to trade one of their starting guards, Dejounte Murray or Trae Young, the Hawks unexpectedly jumped up to the No. 1 pick in last month's NBA draft lottery.
Besides giving Atlanta its choice of prospects in this week's draft (Wednesday and Thursday nights on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+), moving up also created financial complications for the Hawks. The salary of the No. 1 pick is enough to push Atlanta over the projected 2024-25 luxury tax line with 10 other players under guaranteed contract.
As a result, a Hawks team that hasn't made a trade since agreeing to send John Collins to the Utah Jazz nearly a year ago is all but forced to do something over the next few weeks, given paying the tax is untenable for a team that finished 10 games below .500 last season.
Let's take a look at five possible directions Atlanta could take, from most conservative to most aggressive, with hypothetical trades for each scenario and an explanation of what they'd mean for the franchise next season and beyond.
