Hawks Trade Rumors: No. 6 Pick Being Shopped, ATL Looking to Make Playoff Push

The Atlanta Hawks reportedly have been shopping the No. 6 pick in next month's NBA draft as they look to make a playoff push next season.

Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reported the team wants to "win now" and is expected to be aggressive looking for veteran help in free agency and potentially trading their pick. 

The Hawks' plan to push for win-now talent is at once understandable and probably also not the best thing for the franchise long term. Neither De'Andre Hunter nor Cam Reddish showed much pop as a potential future co-star to Young last season. John Collins and Kevin Huerter are good long-term rotation pieces, but neither project as a star. Clint Capela is a solid rebound-and-dunking big but little else.

There's the core of a fine team here, but no young player on this roster looks solidified as the second in command to Young long-term. There is also a legitimate question as to how far a team led by someone with Young's defensive deficiencies can go.

On the other hand, the Hawks have a lot of young talent already on the roster. At some point, they're going to have to consolidate it into a trade for one player with high-end potential. Extension time is also rapidly approaching, and the cap space available on the Hawks' books is burning a hole in their pocket. A max extension for Young, on top of potential deals for Collins and Huerter and Capela's existing contract, will all but wipe out Atlanta's books and lock them into a core.

Making moves now to acquire veteran pieces with long-term contracts could eventually allow the Hawks to flip those assets at a later date, while also getting them into playoff hunt in the immediate future. There is also the real-life benefit of getting these young players a chance to play in games that actually matter.

All of which is to say the process of building a young roster talented enough to make the playoffs is more complicated than it seems.