Ranking Hawks' Top Trade Targets After 2025 NBA Playoff Loss

Another NBA season of treading water by the Atlanta Hawks has reached its predictable endpoint with a Play-In Tournament loss to the Miami Heat.

The questions now become whether they plan to finally bolt from the treadmill of mediocrity and which direction they want to head during the upcoming offseason.

The Hawks, who did see some strides made by their young core, could continue trying to construct a more competitive roster around Trae Young. Now four years removed from their last playoff series win, though, maybe this is when the franchise decides to move on from its longtime floor general and start over.

Since Atlanta doesn't control its own first-round pick until 2028, the organization wouldn't reap the normal rewards of a top-to-bottom reset. Still, if the Hawks don't buy the notion their future is best spent with Young, then there's little sense in delaying the divorce. With that in mind, we're building a future-focused plan for Atlanta's summer with a ranking of the top three preferred trade targets.

3. Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers

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If the Hawks are adding talent this offseason—to play with or without Young—they should focus on finding young players with room to grow their games.

That description fits Bennedict Mathurin pretty well. The third-year pro has already established himself as a solid scoring swingman who can hold his own in one-on-one defensive matchups, but he might have another level or two to climb if he handled a more prominent offensive role than the Pacers have given him.

He'd be an asset in the open court for Atlanta, which played at the third-fastest pace this season, per NBA.com. He is a skilled scorer when he's attacking downhill and a good enough shooter to pepper in shots from the corner.

And since he has both an established floor and untapped potential, he's someone who could make sense for Atlanta regardless what it plans to do with Young.

2. Jalen Green, Houston Rockets

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If the second-seeded Rockets are sent packing sooner than expected, then major changes in Space City shouldn't be ruled out. Houston obviously made tremendous progress this season, but it might still require an offensive superstar to put itself on a championship path.

If the Rockets go big-game hunting, they'll probably part with young talent in the process, and Jalen Green seems like the best player at risk of being squeezed out. He's an effortlessly explosive athlete with an ignitable three-ball who can run fiery hot any given night, but he's still a volume scorer (career 20.1 points on 42.2/34.2/79.9 shooting) who doesn't exactly elevate those around him (3.4 assists against 2.4 turnovers).

Unless the Rockets want Young, the Hawks probably don't have enough to get Green in a two-team swap, but they should be aiming to get involved in a bigger blockbuster. Green could handle primary-scoring duties on a post-Young Atlanta team and wreak havoc in the open floor alongside Jalen Johnson.

Maybe this takes more assets than the Hawks are comfortable sacrificing, but it feels like a bold move is needed to snap them out of this sad stretch of mediocre ball.

1. Draft Picks

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If the Hawks wind up splitting from Young, they need to get as much draft capital as they can in the deal. He has his flaws as a centerpiece, obviously, but he's still the most recognizable part of their identity, not to mention their top scorer and table-setter.

Since their own draft picks are already out the door, they need to find the best available external ones. Young's trade value is murky, since he's extremely ball-dominant on offense and such a clear target on defense, but clubs who are desperate to jolt their offense would still have a hard time overlooking his per-game contributions of 24.2 points and a league-leading 11.6 assists.

Finding his right fit remains tricky regardless, but it's hard to imagine the entire Association would be out on a 26-year-old providing that level of production. Could the Orlando Magic see him as the key to getting their attack out of the bottom 10? Might the Miami Heat wonder if he could be the one to unlock their half-court attack?

The Hawks should have options. Not many of them, probably, but enough to potentially spark a mid-sized bidding war. And if it helps replenish some of the draft picks lost in previous win-now pursuits, Atlanta's future would appear undeniably brighter.