The Atlanta Hawks are heading into the 2013 season with a new identity after losing star Josh Smith to the Detroit Pistons and after making some small moves, Danny Ferry could be in line to pull off a huge deal, as it was rumored earlier this offseason that the Trail Blazers were looking to trade LaMarcus Aldridge and the Hawks were one of their targets for a deal.
Aldridge has been mentioned in trade rumors since the NBA draft and after the Blazers were rebuffed by the Timberwolves for Kevin Love, the Pelicans for Anthony Davis, the Clippers for Blake Griffin, the Bulls for Joakim Noah, the team took a shot at the Hawks with Al Horford and while they also said no, there is a chance that a deal still could get done. According to Bleacher Report, while it is slim, the deal with the Hawks for Al Horford could be a solid option for Atlanta, as they could get one of the top forwards in the league on their team and it could help set them up further down the line in the future.
Aldridge is just 28 and he has shown that he is one of the most consistent players in the league and adding him to a front court that includes Paul Millsap and Elton Brand could help turn the Hawks into playoff contenders again after losing Smith. The star has about $30 million left on his contract and he could sign an extension before that is done depending on what goes down. Aldridge had a great season last year and has career averages of 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.0 blocks per game with the Blazers.
Millsap was a solid addition for the team after he averaged 14.6 points and seven rebounds last season and now the Jazz are without their top two players, as Al Jefferson also left as a free agent. The Hawks have made some other small moves as well, including signing Pero Antic to help with the losses of Devin Harris and Ivan Johnson after he averaged nearly seven points and four rebounds for Olympiacos last season. The team now also has Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver back in the fold and despite losing Smith, Ferry thinks that the team can still contend.
The Hawks lost Smith and signed Brand to a contract to help with depth in the front court and while the team will be weaker after losing its best player and striking out on Dwight Howard, general manager Danny Ferry is excited about their draft picks and young players as they move along in the future. Last season Brand played for the Mavericks and put up less than stellar stats while only playing 21 minutes per game, but his averages of 7.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks are better than 'average' for a 34-year-old player, something the Hawks are banking on.
The team signed Brand after losing out on Dwight Howard and the team had some interest in Greg Oden, but he appears to be picking between the Heat and Spurs as well as the Pelicans. The Hawks also added Millsap this offseason and that was a huge snag from the Jazz, as Millsap was developing into one of the most consistent forward in the league. Brand comes over after being a two-time All-Star and getting some attention from the Knicks and Ferry added that Brand will bring veteran depth, leadership and court intelligence to the roster.
