Atlanta Hawks roundtable: What was your favorite transaction of the off-season?

In the dog days of August, fresh NBA content can be sparse but Peachtree Hoops cuts through the silence for an off-season roundtable series centering on the Atlanta Hawks. Part three dives into the summer with the intent of unearthing the best transaction Travis Schlenk was able to pull off between June and August.

• Brad Rowland - The Dennis Schröder trade. For me, this isn’t particularly close, as I view the ATL-OKC swap as a home run. Losing Mike Muscala is tough for me but clearing the decks from a salary perspective is huge and, perhaps more importantly, the Hawks gaining an asset in a Schröder trade remains stunning to me. Did it close the books on some other potential off-season maneuvering? Yes, but the opportunity cost is being overstated by some outlets and there was just not a scenario in which it made sense to move forward with Schröder given all of the other moves in the last calendar year.
• Glen Willis - The Schröder trade. I still can’t believe Travis Schlenk was able to get an asset back. Most importantly, the roster cleared at the point guard position such that they can simply fill the position in the way that is in the best interest of the development of Trae Young. It also positions Young to be able to earn the full support of his teammates.
• Graham Chapple - It’s no secret I’ve not been Dennis Schröder’s biggest fan. I didn’t enjoy his play on the court, when he became the starting point guard he didn’t progress as you would’ve hoped (just the same player with more minutes and shots). His defense was deplorable, I didn’t like how he ran the Mike Budenholzer offense (by which I mean he didn’t do much of that) and the various red flags off the court that have arisen as time has progressed. Add to that his hefty contract extension, and Schröder, for me, was a huge negative overall. Even when the Hawks drafted Trae Young, I was sure that the Hawks wouldn’t be able to get off of Schröder given his low value and off court issues. So, for Travis Schlenk to not only get off of Schröder - also giving the green light for Trae Young to immediately be thrown into the deep end should Lloyd Pierce choose to do so - but also receive a future first round pick and net Justin Anderson? It’s been a summer of weird moves for the Hawks and Schlenk (and I’ve hated most of them) but this was a fantastic move. But a quick shout-out for signing Vince Carter...love that move too.
• Greg Willis - I know some fans hate it, but the Dennis Schröder trade was an absolute must. From a development standpoint, this season is so important for the Hawks and Schröder would have been a major distraction. Bringing in a new coach and a new highly drafted point guard is the consummate definition of a fresh start. The Hawks could not make a fresh start without a clean cut from Schröder.
• Jeff Siegel - The Schröder trade is the obvious one, since it was far and away the best move Travis Schlenk has made in his tenure as the top decision maker for the Hawks. Shedding a disgruntled point guard and his long-term salary, taking on a young player in Justin Anderson, and a future first-round pick, all at the cost of about $10 million in cap space? It doesn’t get much better than that.
• Josh Lane - The Dennis trade. Why? Because Atlanta managed to shed a two-year contract of a player that the Hawks had no intention to keep, pick up a possible first rounder, and pick up a guy I really like years ago in Justin Anderson…... Oh, and mostly the Carmelo jokes.
• Rashad Milligan - Trading down to draft Trae Young. For so many years, the Hawks have always been a franchise to play it safe, bringing in a guy like Young shows that the new ownership isn’t afraid to take the next step out of mediocrity. It’s a flashy and risky move by an organization that is historically known for accepting mediocrity.
• Sam Meredith - Getting off of basically two years of Dennis Schröder’s contract at the expense of paying his salary plus 10 million this season (Melo) while also being gifted a future first round pick and Justin Anderson might just be the best trade of the offseason. Schlenk really needed this deal too after the questionable moves he made during the draft and over the last season of losing in buyout negotiations. This trade has more repercussions than just on the salary sheet though as this also rids the Hawks of having to deal with Schröder’s arrest and publicity from that situation and gets him out of a young locker room that you want him to be nowhere around.
• Xavier Cooper - I actually like the signing of Vince Carter. It may not seem like a big move compared to the other moves made by the Hawks, but it means so much more for a young team. Vince Carter has been in the NBA now for 20 years and he’s seen it all. The Hawks will have some low points this season and they’ll need a veteran voice to direct them through tough times. Carter is well respected around the league and considering many of those guys probably grew up watching him as kids they’ll soak up any knowledge he has for them like a sponge. All it takes is for him to say the right thing to a player and it could be a motivator or an inspiration for them to do better and take things to the next level. A group of inexperienced young guys can only teach each other so much. They need that veteran mentorship.
• Zach Hood - The Schröder trade. If you followed the Hawks off the court last season, you’re well aware of the problem he became for the organization. Drafting Trae Young sealed his fate, so I was just thrilled that the Hawks found a move that not only didn’t set them back even worse than they were with Schröder, they actually picked two assets in the process. On a lower level, I loved the Vince Carter move, just because, why not? It’s Vince Carter.