Although this Hawks team has been very fun this year, they have fallen far short of the lofty expectations we put on them to start the year. At the deadline, these are the moves I would make to push them into real Eastern Conference contention.

First, obviously, is trading for two-time MVP Giannis. I think the Hawks can really put together a competitive package for Giannis, including Porzingis, Risacher, Newell, and several first-round picks, some of which are swaps from their own picks over the next two years. Personally, I would rather trade CJ than Kristaps because I think they could make for a really fun front court, but I don't think CJ has enough value to make this trade work. They can throw in more picks if needed, but the 2026 and 2027 swaps will be extremely valuable to Milwakee and also the Pelicans suck. I think the Bucks would rather have Jalen Johnson, but I think the Hawks should do everything in their power to keep him. A starting lineup of Dyson, NAW, Johnson, Giannis, and Okongwu would be very competitive in the East.

After the Giannis trade, Atlanta looks to re-up their depth with a great trade with the Mavs. Kennard has been great, but he is on an expiring contract and after aquiring kispert, i think they dont need both. They trade this expiring contract and several second round picks to the Mavs for Naji Marshall and D'Lo. Marshall has been on a tear, and the Mavs need to move off him if they truly want to tank again this year (which is their stated intention right now). In this trade, they save a lot of money, commit to being bad, and gain more draft capital. I think Marshal could go for a first-round pick, but it's hard to justify that price for a guy who would be coming off the bench for the Hawks. D'Lo is just a throw-in to make the money work and to be a reserve in case any of the Hawks' guards get injured. After this trade, the Hawks' bench would consist of CJ, Kreji, Kispert, Marshall, and Gueye, a well-rounded and dangerous bench with defense, shooting, and rim protection.

With these two trades, I think the Hawks can compete with anyone without giving up their entire future. My main concern is the fit between Jalen Johnson and Giannis, whose skills somewhat overlap, but I think they can make it work.

Let me know what y'all think? Can another team make a better offer for Giannis? Are the hawks fleecing here?