{"id":603020,"date":"2026-02-14T16:45:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T16:45:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/603020\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T16:45:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T16:45:15","slug":"hawks-valued-draft-picks-flexibility-at-2026-trade-deadline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/603020\/","title":{"rendered":"Hawks Valued Draft Picks, Flexibility At 2026 Trade Deadline"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Atlanta Hawks made four trades within a week of the 2026 NBA trade deadline. Atlanta received three second-round picks in two deals. They traded V\u00edt Krej\u010d\u00ed<\/a> to the Portland Trail Blazers for Duop Reath<\/a> and two second-round selections. The Hawks also received a second-round pick, along with Gabe Vincent<\/a>, from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Luke Kennard<\/a>. Both deals weakened the roster for the rest of the 2025-26 campaign; the Hawks waived Reath, and Vincent likely plays fewer minutes than Kennard. However, general manager Onsi Saleh prioritized future roster flexibility over small, short-term advantages for this season.<\/p>\n

Hawks Valued Draft Picks, Flexibility At 2026 Trade Deadline<\/p>\n

Atlanta Needed More Second-Round Selections After 2023 Trade<\/p>\n

Second-round draft capital can often be overlooked. Many veterans who can give playoff squads a big boost go for three, four, or even five picks. For example, the Charlotte Hornets sent two second-rounders and Collin Sexton<\/a> to the Chicago Bulls for Coby White<\/a> ahead of this year\u2019s deadline. Atlanta made a similar trade for a starting-caliber veteran in 2023, acquiring Saddiq Bey<\/a> in a four-team deal.<\/p>\n

The Hawks sent out five second-round selections, four of them being their own, in the deal. Bey played 25 games down the stretch of the 2022-23 regular season. He averaged 11.6 points and 4.8 rebounds, shooting 40.0% from deep in 25.2 minutes per game. Bey began the following season as Atlanta\u2019s starting power forward but shot a career-low 31.6% from 3-point range before tearing his ACL on March 10, 2024.<\/p>\n

This transaction put the Hawks at a severe draft asset deficit. Not only did they give up five second-round picks in 2023, but they also traded three first-round picks when they acquired Dejounte Murray<\/a> from the San Antonio Spurs in the 2022 offseason. The lack of picks decreased Atlanta\u2019s flexibility to add quality veteran depth over the last few campaigns. Saleh changed that this season. He spoke<\/a> to the media about his trade deadline decisions on Feb. 7.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to accumulate assets. When I came [to Atlanta], we were at a deficit of draft assets. Now, we\u2019re actually at a surplus,\u201d expressed Saleh confidently.<\/p>\n

Hawks Got Another Trade Exception From Luke Kennard-Gabe Vincent Trade
\n\"Jan 28, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Luke Kennard (4) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) during the first half at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

When Atlanta traded Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2024, it created a $25.2 million traded player exception (TPE). One year later, it exercised this flexibility to sign-and-trade for Nickeil Alexander-Walker<\/a> on a four-year, $60.6 million contract. This move ended up being arguably the best signing of the 2025 offseason<\/a>. The Hawks created an $11 million TPE when they acquired Vincent and a second-round pick for Kennard.<\/p>\n

Kennard leads the league in 3-point percentage at 49.4%. After a slow start, he found his groove in Atlanta before it sent him to Los Angeles, but his $11 million contract expired after this season. The Hawks also had a $13.1 million TPE they had to use before Feb. 6 from the Bogdan Bogdanovi\u0107<\/a> deal last season. Even though Kennard\u2019s departure weakened the roster for this season, the trade gave the Hawks another valuable TPE for future flexibility.<\/p>\n

Saleh and Atlanta\u2019s front office clearly valued long-term success over maximizing wins this season. The campaign has not gone as expected when compared to the high expectations surrounding the Hawks last summer. However, Atlanta positioned itself to acquire a top pick in the 2026 draft<\/a> and has the tools to build a deeper team in the coming seasons.<\/p>\n

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