The Atlanta Hawks should be entering the 2025 offseason with every reasonable option willing to be explored. On Atlanta's current roster, only Dyson Daniels and Trae Young should be considered truly untouchable. Everyone else is up for grabs when it comes to potential trades that would make the team better. The easy path for Atlanta is searching for teams wanting to go below the league's second apron and willing to dump salary for a first-round pick and trade pieces easier to move. This could lead the Hawks to an unlikely trade option.
Looking at the Boston Celtics roster, it is clear the team must take a step back. You cannot go into the 2025-26 season carrying your current cap and have Jayson Tatum missing most, if not all, of the season. It is going to require a bit of a reset, and the Hawks would be all too happy to help the Celtics move in this direction.
This deal boils down to a simple salary dump for Boston, understanding the position they are in. After winning the title a season ago, the bill is finally coming due, and that is going to demand some tough choices. Jrue Holiday was still impactful when healthy, but struggled with injuries and showed some clear signs of aging. Shedding the guard's salary is the quickest path to helping ease the current cap burden.
For the Hawks, you're paying a first-round pick and Bufkin to be able to see what is left in the tank for Holiday. The guard works perfectly with Trae Young. The veteran is known for his bulldog defense and refusal to back down from the toughest matchups.
The Hawks would be adding an established scorer and two-time NBA champion as well. Before winning it all with Boston a year ago, the guard was a pivotal piece of the Bucks' NBA Championship run. His ability to lock down scorers on the perimeter and timely shot making helped make him a valuable piece of two different franchise runs. With this in mind, the Hawks would be wise to at least reach out and gauge whether or not Boston is ready to move on from the star guard. It would be the perfect initial offseason move and signal to Trae Young the team isn't punting on his tenure just yet.