Over the past few days, the Atlanta Hawks’ roster has undergone a complete overhaul. The team parted ways with its longtime star Trae Young, acquiring CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert in the process. And while the reception to Young’s trade has remained mixed, the team must push forward with the new roster they have.
McCollum and Kispert made their debut days later, effectively making an impact as the Hawks beat the Golden State Warriors 124-111.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that the Hawks will continue rebuilding with someone like McCollum on the team — the question of longevity eventually turns to Onsi Saleh, the Hawks’ general manager.
Hawks GM Onsi Saleh Shed Light on CJ McCollum’s Future in Atlanta
In a recent interview with The Athletic, Saleh sat down to speak about McCollum — especially in response to how their current team.
“We’ll see where that all goes as the season comes along, but CJ’s been awesome,” the GM said. “He’s somebody that I think could fit here long term as well. I’m really, really excited about having him here. But yeah, I can’t really say anything about extension talks and negotiations.”
However, despite all the uncertainty, Saleh confirmed that they did indeed like the trade. And as per the GM, it’s what can ultimately help them in the future.
“… But we like the trade, and what we did was something we really thought would help us now and in the future. The players coming back, I think they’re excellent fits with us and make a lot of sense for us, and we get deep in our rotation, too. I think you guys kind of saw a little bit of that last night (in a 124-111 win over the Golden State Warriors),” Saleh added.
Coming off the bench and playing for over 20 minutes, McCollum scored 12 points and had four assists against the Warriors.
After freeing $46 million following Young’s trade to the Washington Wizards, some analysts and insiders have hinted at another possible trade in Atlanta.
This one, though, could bring Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis to the Hawks.
According to Clutch Point’s Bailey Bassett, if the Hawks want to trade for Davis, they could give up Kristaps Porziņģis, Luke Kennard, N’Faly Dante, a first-round pick, and two second-round picks. Having said that, the Hawks could be a completely different team with Davis on their roster — especially as a veteran with valuable championship experience.
The Hawks are currently ranked ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 20-21 win-loss record.
