Hawks' Bazemore on trade rumors: 'If up to me, I want to bring a championship here'

It's Feb. 8.

“Oh,” Bazemore said, laughing. “I had no idea, man.”

Clearly Bazemore isn’t focused on the pending deadline. However, Bazemore is aware that he’s included among the inevitable trade rumors.

TNT analyst David Aldridge, writing at NBA.com, cited anonymous league sources in reporting that the Cavaliers have inquired with the Hawks about Bazemore. The Cavaliers have lost 10 of their last 13 games and are looking to fortify their roster, especially defensively, as they prepare for another championship run with LeBron James.

Bazemore, 28, said he prefers to stay with the Hawks but understands trades are part of the business. He knows from personal experience: the Warriors traded him to the Lakers in February 2014, before he was an established NBA player.

“It is what it is,” Bazemore said. “I’ve had great vets around me coming up that have kind of warned me and prepared me for situations like this. But it’s out of my control.”

Certainly the rebuilding Hawks are open to moving Bazemore, especially for a draft pick. The Cavaliers have two picks in the first round: their own and an unprotected pick from the Nets, who are on pace to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

However, as Aldridge notes, Bazemore is owed more than $37 million over the next two seasons (including a player option for 2019-20). The Cavaliers may be reluctant to both send away a draft pick also take on Bazemore’s contract when they aren’t sure if James will opt out of his contract this summer and become a free agent.

Financial considerations aside, Bazemore would fill Cleveland’s need for a good defender. He’s also shooting a career-best 38.2 percent on 3-pointers (though his effective field-goal percentage of 49.2 is below league average).

The Hawks signed Bazemore to his contract before principal owner Tony Ressler decided to strip down the roster and rebuild via the draft with a new GM, Travis Schlenk. The Hawks (14-32) are 7-7 over the last month but still are tied with Orlando for the worst record in the East.

There have been times this season when Bazemore has seemed worn down by the losing. But he said that, on balance, it’s been a positive experience.

“I love going through this,” Bazemore said. “I think this helped me as a person. And as a player (it) thrust (me) into a role that maybe would have come a year or two from now. It’s a lot of learning on the fly. Growing pains for myself. Trial and error.”

For his part, Bazemore said he wants to stay in Atlanta. Pretty much every player says that publicly when connected to trade rumors but there’s reason to believe Bazemore is being sincere.

Bazemore was a fringe NBA player when the Hawks singed him in September 2014. That season Bazemore developed into a key rotation player for a 60-win team that advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in Atlanta franchise history. Bazemore became a full-time starter the next season.

The team’s roster turnover left Bazemore and Dennis Schroder as the only veteran holdovers with long-term contracts. Bazemore quickly went from role player on good, veteran teams to a main scoring option and leader for a young squad that loses a lot.

Bazemore said the losing hasn’t soured him on the Hawks.

“If it was up to me, I want to bring a championship here,” he said. “I came here four years ago. We had some success right off the bat. I love with this organization has done, what this city has done for me and my family. I love it here. There’s nothing wrong with going through a little adversity in life. These are the moments you look back when you get to hold that championship trophy one day.”