Here’s why the Hawks might make more deals ahead of Thursday trade deadline

With the NBA trade deadline approaching at 3 p.m. Thursday, the window for deals is closing.

The Hawks already have made a couple of moves, but they still could make more on the periphery to improve the roster. They have several assets they can combine that could allow them to address some of their needs on the roster.

With a full roster, including 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals, they can negotiate with trade partners but may need to make the tough decision to waive a player to avoid going over the limit.

The Hawks have two traded-player exceptions that expire Friday that generated from their trades at last season’s deadline.

As the deadline nears, the Hawks could be a potential trade partner. They have three players on expiring deals, and two first-round draft picks in June’s draft that derived from trades. They also have several of their own first-round picks, beginning in 2029, that they could offer. They’ve also accumulated several second-round picks over the next few years, bolstering their trove of draft assets.

Like many teams, the Hawks will listen to any and all offers. But there admittedly will be some players they’re less likely to move than others, including All-Star forward Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu and a few others.

Here are some things to watch as Thursday’s trade deadline approaches.

Expiring contracts

Kristaps Porzingis (Stats: 17 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.7 apg 36% 3FG in 17 games.) Age 30. Salary: $30.7 million.

When the Hawks acquired Porzingis last summer, the move was largely seen as low-risk, high-reward. Unfortunately for the Hawks, the reward has manifested minimally, with injuries limiting Porzingis to just 17 of the team’s 52 games.

Though the center’s availability — or lack thereof — has been frustrating for Hawks fans, his performance in his limited appearances has been a boon.

Porzingis has provided the Hawks with scoring and has been a deterrent for opposing players looking to get to the rim. But he has been huge in affecting shots from midrange.

But the Hawks have depth issues at center and could look to keep Porzingis, who becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, to address that.

Luke Kennard (Stats: 7.9 ppg, 2.1 apg, 49.7% 3FG in 46 games.) Age 29. Salary: $11 million.

After a more passive start to the season, Kennard has looked much more aggressive in looking to score. The Hawks signed Kennard to a one-year deal to bolster their shooting, and it’s beginning to pay off.

Over the last 18 games, Kennard has shot close to 60% from deep. He’s made 2.1 of his 3.6 3-point attempts, with the Hawks going 10-8 in that time span when he plays.

That has certainly made Kennard even more valuable to the Hawks — and attractive for contenders looking to improve.

CJ McCollum (Stats: 18.7 points, 3.3 assists, 37.3% 3FG in 12 games.) Age 34. Salary: $30.7 million.

The Hawks acquired McCollum last month in the deal that sent former All-Star guard Trae Young to the Wizards. In the 12 games since, McCollum has grown into his role with the Hawks as a jolt when the offense stagnates.

The team also looked for the veteran experience McCollum could bring to the locker room. The Hawks were the third-youngest team when the season began. Since the addition of McCollum and wing Corey Kispert, as well as trading wing Vit Krejci to the Trail Blazers for center Duop Reath, the average age has increased by nearly two years.

But of the expiring deals, McCollum seems to be the least likely to be moved at the deadline because of his availability, production and veteran experience.

Draft assets

• The Hawks get the more favorable of a 2026 first-round pick between the Pelicans and the Bucks.
• The Hawks have pick swap between the Spurs, Cavaliers and Hawks. The Spurs get the most favorable landing spot among the three teams, the Cavaliers receive the worst and the Hawks fall in the middle.

Traded-player exceptions

The Hawks have gained several TPEs after several deals they made over the last year. The exceptions were created after the Hawks did not take on the full amount of salary that they sent out in a trade.