Hawks reportedly seeking second-round draft picks in veteran trade discussions

Earlier in the week, word broke from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the Atlanta Hawks were actively exploring trade discussions for a trio of players including Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova. With that in mind, Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders is now shedding additional light on the reported discussions, including what the Hawks could be looking for in exchange.

The report describes the Hawks as “seeking a high second-round draft pick” for either Ilyasova or Belinelli and that would fall in line with general thinking on the value of either player. While both (and especially Ilyasova) could provide value to a playoff-bound squad, neither is an “impact” level player that would theoretically command a first-round pick in exchange and, provided the second-round selection came in the form of a top-45 pick, that would represent a solid return for Atlanta.

Because both veterans are on expiring contracts, there is some level of urgency for the Hawks to recoup value and it has long been assumed that Travis Schlenk would weigh trade options including Ilyasova, Belinelli, Dewayne Dedmon, Luke Babbitt and others before February’s deadline. It remains to be seen as to whether Schlenk and the front office will pull the trigger but, if this report proves to be accurate, the team’s asking price appears to be quite reasonable and only time will tell.

Stay tuned.