NBA Trade Rumors: Atlanta Hawks facing locker room issues, expected to be very active before trade deadline
What's the rumor?
The Atlanta Hawks are one of the NBA's worst teams this year and nothing seems to be working for them. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Hawks will be very active in the trade deadline period as they begin to deal with their various locker room issues.
In case you didn't know...
The Hawks are among the NBA's worst teams and currently hold a 7-27 record, sitting last place in the Eastern Conference rankings with just one win in their previous 11 games.
Trae Young has excelled on a personal note, averaging 28.5 points and 8.3 assists-a-night, though it's become increasingly apparent he has minimal help from the rest of his team.
With reports of Trae's unhappiness circulating recently, the management needs to revamp the pieces around their star guard if they want to retain him in the long-term.
“No energy, no one playing hard,” a source with knowledge of the Hawks’ situation said after a recent loss.
“This s**t is depressing,” said another.
The heart of the matter
According to the report, the Hawks are looking for a backup point guard and center for the team. Currently, they have DeAndre Bembry and Cam Reddish serving as backup for Young, which is concerning. In addition, they have Bruno Fernando and Damian Jones as backup centers alongside John Collins - which also needs a revamp.
The Hawks have been connected to their former center Dewayne Dedmon and Steven Adams of Oklahoma City Thunder as two probable interests. Also, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, they have recently been involved in talks with the Detroit Pistons regarding a trade related to their two-time All-Star center Andre Drummond.
However, nothing concrete has been confirmed just yet. It's clear from the aura surrounding the team that there will be moves in the coming month or so from a Hawks perspective.
What's next?
The Hawks face a tough test next up, against the Boston Celtics (23-8) this evening at the TD Garden. Tip-off is scheduled for 7pm (ET), and you can watch the game on Fox Sports Southeast or alternatively NBA's League Pass.