ATLANTA — Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields said it was difficult parting ways with two NBA veterans, but he believes it put the team in a better place for this season and beyond.
The Hawks were among multiple teams active up to the league’s trade deadline Thursday, with Atlanta sending forward De’Andre Hunter to the Cleveland Cavaliers and dealing guard Bogdan Bogdanovic to the Los Angeles Clippers.
“A lot of times it comes down to discerning, not necessarily between good and bad, but good and better,” Fields said. “De’Andre is having a very good year, but with what I discern to be where we’re at and ultimately where we want to go, you have to make certain decisions and certain transactions that are challenging.”
The Hawks got Caris LeVert and Georges Niang from the Cavs, along with three second-round draft picks, and guard Terance Mann joined the Hawks from the Clippers.
Fields said he made the move for “guys and players that we really enjoy and we’re excited about, and also just the asset package, things that are going to help us continue to move.”
Some league observers looked askance at the Hawks’ moves, including TNT analyst Charles Barkley, who said Hunter was Atlanta’s second-best player after star point guard Trae Young. In his sixth season, Hunter has averaged career-high 19.0 points per game shooting a career-best 39.3% from 3-point range.
“I have no idea what the hell the Atlanta Hawks are doing,” Barkley said on TNT’s “Inside the NBA.”
The Hawks entered Friday night’s matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks having lost nine of their past 10 games to drop to ninth in the Eastern Conference standings, still in line for a spot in the play-in tournament but with no guarantee of a playoff berth. Atlanta forward Jalen Johnson is out after the team recently announced he would have season-ending shoulder surgery, but Fields said that didn’t change the Hawks’ approach at the deadline.
“Our objectives remained the same,” Fields said. “How do we acquire talent with Hawks DNA? How do we continue to add to our assets and play winning basketball and competitive basketball? Nothing changed our calculus with that.”
Bogdanovic has been the opposite of Hunter, averaging a career-low 10.0 points and shooting a career-worst 30.1% from behind the arc.
Hawks coach Quin Snyder said the new acquisitions could help the team in various ways.
“(Niang’s) shooting is something I think that is a need for us, and that’s what he’s done for a long time,” Snyder said. “Caris has the ability to create both for himself and other guys. That’s valuable to a team. … In Terance’s case, versatility is something that you’ve seen for years, his ability to guard multiple positions, knock down shots and compete on both ends of the floor.”
Fields said he will always try to adjust and improve his team no matter the record.
“Ultimately, its not about just one season,” Fields said. “We’re here to build a championship-caliber roster, and not just for a year, but for years to come. So when we have opportunities at the deadline, part of our job is making sure we’re setting the right objectives.”