Hawks reportedly discussed Dennis Schröder trade with Bucks before Eric Bledsoe landed in Milwaukee

The Atlanta Hawks could be sellers before the NBA’s trade deadline on Feb. 8 and, according to a report from ESPN’s Zach Lowe, a very interesting move was once discussed. Within a piece about the Milwaukee Bucks, Lowe revealed that the Hawks and Bucks “discussed a similar deal” to the one ultimately consummated between Milwaukee and Phoenix for Eric Bledsoe and it included point guard Dennis Schröder.

The Bucks sent Greg Monroe and a 2018 first round pick (protected for selections 1-10 and 17-30 before potentially rolling over to 2019) and a protected second round selection to Phoenix for Bledsoe and, while Bledsoe’s situation was quite different, it is instructive of what the Hawks could be thinking.

Schröder and Bledsoe have similar annual salaries and, beyond that, the notion of a “similar deal” points to a potential willingness from Atlanta to move on from the young point guard. In some ways, that does not come as a shock considering that GM Travis Schlenk did not select Schröder in the draft or provide him with a lucrative contract extension but, with actual rumors including the likes of Kent Bazemore, Ersan Ilyasova and Marco Belinelli, this is another factor to add to the list.

The 24-year-old point guard has been Atlanta’s most prolific offensive player this season, averaging 19.4 points and 6.6 assists per game. In the same breath, his defense and shooting (less than 29 percent on threes) have come under fire and, with that in mind, it remains an open question as to whether Schröder’s contract provides value for his contributions.

Within the confines of the season, the prospect of a Schröder trade reportedly remains less likely than that of one during the summer. Still, the Hawks were seemingly at least discussing it earlier in the campaign and that is something to file away for the future.