While Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young is sure to dominate the offseason headlines, it shouldn't be the franchise star the team attempts to trade. Young's value is well established, and the only thing keeping the franchise anywhere close to relevance. Offseason efforts should be to shed salary and attempt to add a veteran scorer capable of taking pressure off Young, and helping set the tone for the Hawks' young core.
With this in mind, there is an obvious salary the Hawks should attempt to dump in Georges Niang. The veteran forward was brought to Atlanta in the midseason deal that sent De'Andre Hunter to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The deal was really a salary dump for the Hawks, one that the team should continue by finding a way to shed Niang in the 2025 offseason.
Hawks Should Attempt to Trade Georges Niang in the 2025 Offseason
It took the Hawks only a handful of games to see why Cleveland was so ready to move on from the reliable scorer. What Niang offers you on the offensive side, he is all too happy to offset in failed attempts to guard ball handlers. To call the veteran a defensive liability might be considered a tad generous.
For a team that is built around an undersized guard, you simply cannot afford to have Niang consistently on the court. The entire basis of what the Hawks are building is having long, capable defenders who can match up with almost anyone in switches to help cover for Trae. This rules out the forward from the team's long-term goals, despite having a year remaining on his contract.
Niang is due $8.2 million for the 2025-26 season. In today's league, this isn't an absurd figure for a valuable bench scorer. It should open up a path for the Hawks to open up a bit more salary space and move on from the failing defender.
With the league's new second-apron rules, in many ways, teams are now under a hard cap. Every dollar matters, and the Hawks cannot afford to play Niang when the veteran doesn't fit what the franchise is attempting to build. If one Atlanta Hawks piece is traded in the 2025 offseason, it should be Georges Niang.