NBA Trade Rumors: Hawks Linked to Marcus Smart, CJ McCollum amid Simmons, Grant Buzz

Expect the Atlanta Hawks to be buyers ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 10. 

According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, the Hawks have been "heavily linked to Philadelphia's Ben Simmons, have been linked to Detroit's Jerami Grant and have interest in Boston's Marcus Smart and Portland's CJ McCollum, sources say."

The Hawks find themselves in an interesting position ahead of Thursday's deadline. After reaching the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago, they are a disappointing 25-28 this season and currently 10th in the East. 

There were signs the team might be turning things around in January, winning seven straight games, but they've since lost three of their last four. 

That has been the theme for the Hawks this year—streaks of excellent play followed by stretches of mediocrity. 

Still, it's hard to imagine the Hawks shaking things up too much around players like Trae Young and Clint Capela. When the Hawks won two playoff series last year, it was ahead of schedule for a young and developing team. How much of their core would they be willing to move on from now to improve their short-term odds? 

A player like Simmons, for example, would make sense for Atlanta. His excellent defense would cover up a lot of holes, and his ability to attack in transition and serve as another facilitator on offense would take some pressure off of Young as the team's primary playmaker. 

But the Hawks would almost assuredly have to get a third team involved in any deal with the Sixers, making it a complicated proposition. And would such a deal really get them over the hump in the East?

That's the question with all of these prospective targets. Is Grant an upgrade over John Collins, or a player who would be worth giving up on an exciting young player like DeAndre Hunter? And after years of never getting over the hump next to Damian Lillard in Portland, would McCollum really move the needle for the Hawks enough to do so in Atlanta?

Smart is perhaps the best non-Simmons fit given that he would help cover up Young's defensive deficiencies on the perimeter, and his playmaking and leadership would be welcome on the young Hawks. For Atlanta, it would come down to the question of cost. Smart has long had his name floated around in trade buzz, but the Celtics have never moved him. He likely wouldn't come cheap. 

The Hawks have already dealt Cam Reddish. They clearly are willing to make changes. The question will be how much of last year's overachieving group they will be willing to sacrifice to address their present struggles.