Hawks and Hornets Jokingly Negotiate Social Media Trade on Twitter

There's no resting during the NBA offseason. NBA executives are busy planning personnel moves, and players are preparing physically and mentally for another grueling season.

Social media managers, meanwhile, may have too much free time on their hands.

As the Atlanta Hawks bemoaned, running an NBA team's Twitter account largely entails dealing with unrealistic fans.

This harmless joke sparked swift reaction around the league. When the Charlotte Hornets showed sympathy, Atlanta responded with a trade offer to appease its restless fans.

The Los Angeles Clippers joined the conversation to broker negotiations through ESPN's NBA Trade Machine.

Charlotte played hard ball, extending the talk beyond Twitter assets.

The tense standoff eventually yielded a done deal.

This writer gives the Hawks an "A," mostly because he doesn't know what a puppy filter is. The Brooklyn Nets also joined the fun, which must mean Billy King didn't mortgage their Twitter future for Paul Pierce's clip art emoji. 

[Twitter]