The Atlanta Hawks did everything they possibly could to catapult themselves from a Play-In Tournament team to an Eastern Conference contender this offseason. With the additions of Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard, the Hawks are stacked around Trae Young. With good health luck, there is no reason for the Hawks to win at least a playoff round next season.
Depending on how the season goes until the trade deadline, the Hawks also have assets to use in a potential deal to further upgrade the roster. If they decide to make a move, the most obvious trade candidate is Kobe Bufkin. The former 15th-overall pick doesn't seem to have much of a role on this team as he enters his third season in the NBA.
Kobe Bufkin Remains the Most Obvious Hawks Trade Candidate
After a productive collegiate career at Michigan, Bufkin has had a less-than-stellar start to his NBA career.
Even though he dealt with injuries that kept him out for long stretches, he hasn't been particularly effective when he has been available, either. Through 27 games for the Hawks, the 21-year-old has averaged 5 points, 2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game on 37.4/22.0/65.4 shooting splits.
The hope was that he would demonstrate that he was ready to contribute in the Summer League. While he had a few productive games over the summer, Bufkin failed to establish himself as worthy of rotation minutes. Now that the Hawks have Kennard, Alexander-Walker, and Dyson Daniels to handle the ball when Young is on the bench, Bufkin is less needed than ever. That is why he is the most likely player to be moved on the Hawks' roster.
Until he proves that he can at least be a backup point guard for this team, Bufkin will continue to be on the trade block. His $4.5 million salary for next season, combined with draft capital, could net the Hawks a rotation-level player on the trade market. That is an avenue general manager Onsi Saleh has to explore for the rest of the summer and through the trade deadline.