There hasn’t been another trade season like this but teams aren’t done wheeling and dealing stars yet. With about 48 hours remaining until Thursday’s deadline, the Atlanta Hawks are still expected to move veteran wing Bogdan Bogdanovic, per The Stein Line insider Jake Fischer. However, “the delay stems from the Hawks exploring more ambitious trade constructions — possibly even involving Brandon Ingram.”
Hawks Involved In Trade Talks Involving Bogdan Bogdanovic, Brandon Ingram
It should be noted that the Hawks may not be looking to add New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram themselves.
It’s certainly possible that they will. Ingram may not be on a Hall of Fame trajectory but he’s undeniably one of the league’s most talented players. A team like Atlanta, which is basically in no man’s land, might see him as the type of acquisition that helped them emerge from the middle of the pack.
However, it doesn’t seem likely.
A Strong Player, But The Wrong Player
For starters, the most feasible trade involving Ingram and the Hawks may have already passed. When Atlanta moved Dejounte Murray last offseason, his trade value was even higher than Trae Young‘s. Instead of targeting Ingram, they opted for a package headlined by Dyson Daniels and two first-round picks. In hindsight, Daniels’ addition was a shrewd one, as he’s a near-lock to make the league’s All-Defensive team this season. Nonetheless, in terms of measuring and matching players by their skill level, Ingram was closer to Murray.
Due to their current roster construction, it’s now a question of where Ingram would fit anyways.
Daniels starts alongside Young in the backcourt. When healthy, Jalen Johnson will start at forward. The other forward slot is occupied by 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher. Risacher hasn’t been overly impressive in his rookie season, especially relative to other first overall picks. Nonetheless, he’s a multi-faceted player who looks like he could enjoy a long NBA career.
Ingram could usurp Risacher in the pecking order but there’s no guarantee he would. At this point in their respective careers, he’s definitely the better player. Nonetheless, there’s something to be said about Risacher’s baseline at the defensive end and willingness to play any role. Frankly, his combination of tangible skills and intangible traits might be more appealing to the Hawks, especially as a younger team that sees Young and Johnson as their first and second options offensively.
Thus, the idea of Atlanta targeting Ingram specifically isn’t without merit. It just isn’t entirely feasible.
Potential Trade Partners
There are a number of other teams that Ingram has been linked to, including: the Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, and Toronto Raptors.
Of note, the Nuggets are rumored to have interest in Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter. Bogdanovic, the captain of the Serbian men’s national basketball team, starred alongside Nuggets leader Nikola Jokic in the Paris Olympics. Given the trade winds that have connected Denver to Ingram, it’s possible that they’re involved in trade talks with the Hawks and the Pelicans.
It’s worth mentioning that Hunter was once a trade target for the Raptors as well. Though this was during the time that Toronto was exploring trades for Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, they could still have them on their shortlist. After all, the Sixth Man of the Year favorite is in the midst of a career season.
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