Another week of Hawks hoops has come to an end, and it turned into a fairly big one despite just three games on the schedule.
The Hawks finished with two wins over the Heat and the Jazz, with their lone loss to the Hornets.
But the biggest news comes from how the team’s front office navigated the trade deadline.
The Hawks kicked off the major transaction period moving on from fan-favorite wing Vit Krejci. The Hawks also moved Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard and acquired several veterans who could add to the locker room.
What’s ahead
The Hawks have just two games on the schedule this week with the All-Star break set to begin this weekend.
Last week’s NBA trade deadline shifted several things in the Eastern Conference. Several teams pivoted their strategies, shifting from a run for the postseason to looking to the future. The Hawks doubled down on their goal of taking a franchise from middling purgatory to one that consistently competes in the postseason.
They acquired several veteran players who will allow them to have a competitive enough roster down the stretch. But as with the theme of the previous 54 games, the Hawks will have to continue figuring out how these new pieces fit into the future of the franchise.
Monday at Timberwolves
The Hawks have already faced the Timberwolves once this season, handing them a convincing 126-106 defeat on Dec. 31.
The Timberwolves will be on the second day of back-to-back games and enter the night coming off a blowout loss to the Clippers on Sunday.
The Hawks did not go deep into their bench Saturday and may opt to see what they can get out of their available new pieces in Buddy Hield and Gabe Vincent. The team already ruled out forward Jonathan Kuminga and will reevaluate him after the All-Star break.
Wednesday at Hornets
The Hornets have a 2-1 lead on the Hawks in the regular-season series following Saturday’s win. The Hawks have the chance to even things up with a win in Charlotte in the final meeting of the regular season.
Like Monday’s game in Minnesota, the Hawks could give their new players a chance to get acclimated after the past few days. They will have had a chance to run some film sessions and at least one practice before everyone disperses for the All-Star break.
Wednesday’s matchup could have some seeding implications later in the year if the Hawks and Hornets finish with similar records. The winner of the series could earn the tiebreaker and have the better seeding in the Eastern Conference Play-In tournament.
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