The Atlanta Hawks had a very active run-up to the 2023 NBA Draft in the rumor mill.
On top of rumors that they were eyeing a trade up into the top 10 – which general manager Landry Fields later confirmed – there was also chatter that they were looking to move off some of their heftier contracts to avoid paying into the luxury tax next season. The Hawks are currently on track to pay more than $8 million into the tax.
“There are still a handful of trade candidates that could be on the move with money matters in mind, most notably in Atlanta,” wrote Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports on June 23.