On draft night time in 2018, the Atlanta Hawks executed what has turn into one of the crucial consequential trades in latest NBA historical past. The Hawks held the third total choose and used it to pick out a younger European guard by the identify of Luka Doncic who many believed had famous person potential. Two picks later although, then GM Travis Schlenk executed a choose swap with the Dallas Mavericks, who had simply chosen one other promising younger guard by the identify of Trae Younger.
Quick ahead six years, and Younger has blossomed into top-of-the-line guards within the NBA. That being mentioned, he’s largely been overshadowed by his counterpart in that fateful commerce, with Doncic turning into a top-three participant within the league. Simply final season we noticed Doncic lead his workforce to the NBA Finals for the primary time, ending high three in MVP voting within the course of.
Whereas Doncic has definitely turn into the higher participant, this doesn’t imply the Hawks have been left empty-handed. It was solely three years in the past that we noticed Younger carry the Hawks to the brink of their first Finals look in Atlanta. Younger has the flexibility to be the man on a championship-winning roster, he simply has to have the suitable co-star.
That is the place the Hawks have largely failed. They’ve tried a number of occasions to pair Younger with a co-star, however none have panned out. 2017 draft choice John Collins was purported to fill this function, and whereas we noticed flashes of what the 2 may turn into, Collins by no means actually developed previous a stable function participant. 2019 choice De’Andre Hunter has been a step up from Collins, however it seems he’s reached his ceiling.
Following an early playoff exit in 2022, the Hawks determined to look exterior the group to fill this function. Newly minted GM Landry Fields made his first huge transfer, buying and selling a number of first-round picks and Danilo Gallinari to the Spurs for all-star taking pictures guard Dejounte Murray. The transfer puzzled many, as pairing the undersized Younger with one other ball-dominant guard appeared like poor roster building.
Two years later, the Murray experiment has confirmed to be a failure. The disgruntled guard was despatched off to New Orleans in change for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr. and a first-round choose. Many outsiders checked out this newest growth as an abject failure for the Hawks. Those that had been paying a bit extra consideration to the workforce, nevertheless, knew that the participant they had been in search of all alongside was already on the roster.
Jalen Johnson was drafted twentieth total in 2021 by the Hawks. It took a few seasons for the younger wing to acclimate to the NBA, however final season was his popping out get together. Because the Hawks’ third choice for a lot of the 12 months, Johnson averaged 16 factors, 8.7 rebounds and three.6 assists on .511/.355/.728 taking pictures splits. Johnson shined throughout Younger’s 30-game absence on account of damage, at occasions taking up complete video games.
This leap by Johnson was sufficient for the Hawk’s brass to go all in on the wing, signing him to a five-year, $150 million deal proper earlier than the season. It’s an enormous gamble, however the Hawks consider Johnson possesses all the required traits to turn into a famous person. Coincidentally, these traits additionally make him the proper match subsequent to Trae.
Solely time will inform if Johnson is every thing Atlanta hopes he turns into. One factor is for sure although, the potential is there. If Johnson can take that subsequent step, then Atlanta could have the following dominant duo within the NBA.
