Quiet as kept, the Hawks are once again on pace for a 50-win season and their fourth consecutive playoff appearance. The difference is how the club has managed to maintain their winning ways. Atlanta is under the leadership of a rookie head coach and has successfully implemented a brand new offensive scheme. The Hawks have also survived the early season injury bug. Last season the Hawks’ top six players missed a total of 14 games. Through 39 games this season those same players have combined to miss 24 contests as Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams and Jamal Crawford have all battled through an assortment of ailments.

The most notable trade asset for the Hawks is Crawford, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year. It is a widely known fact that Crawford wants to remain in Atlanta as his career winds down but the franchise recently invested over $180 million to Johnson and Al Horford, putting his future with the squad in limbo.

The team has attempted to find a taker for Williams’ contract in the past to no avail, but losing him without receiving a serviceable small forward in return would weaken the team since there is currently no depth at the position. Veteran guard Mike Bibby is enjoying a career resurgence shooting 49 percent from three-point range this season, but is clearly past his prime so this may be the ideal time to receive some value in return.

Notable Trade Chips: Jamal Crawford (1 year, $10.1 million), Mike Bibby (2 years, $11.8 million), Marvin Williams (4 years, $30 million), Maurice Evans (1 year, $2.5 million).

Salary Cap situation: $12 million over the salary cap and $1.1 million under the luxury tax

Trade Exceptions: $3.6 million (J. Childress)

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By: Bill Ingram Last Updated: 1/6/11 1:06 PM ET | 8540 times read

Adjust font size:One of the hot topics around the NBA this week has been whether or not the Phoenix Suns will trade All-Star point guard Steve Nash as the next phase in their ongoing effort to dump salary. Of course, everyone’s favorite game then becomes determining where Steve Nash might land. The New York Knicks have been a favorite guess, and it’s easy to see. After all, Nash would be reunited with his former head coach in Mike D’Antoni and his former pick-and-roll partner in Amar’e Stoudemire. The Knicks, however, don’t have the most attractive pieces to offer in trade and they don’t even have a particular need with Raymond Felton playing at an All-Star level.

There is a team, however, that desperately needs Nash’s services. It’s one of the teams that rose to an elite level in the Eastern Conference prior to letting their head coach go and making no major upgrades over the offseason. As the Miami HEAT, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic have worked tirelessly to improve their rosters, the Hawks have elected to basically stand pat, and as a result they’re quickly losing ground in their conference. HOOPSWORLD’s Lang Greene believes Nash is the answer for the Hawks, and even see a path of acquisition for Atlanta:

Atlanta has never been the first choice destination of marquee players looking to change addresses, but the Hawks franchise could offer a future Hall of Famer like Steve Nash a legitimate chance to add a NBA title to his already sparkling resume.

A couple of key facts are often overlooked when analyzing the current state of the Hawks. The first is that the franchise features three All-Star caliber players in Joe Johnson, Al Horford and Josh Smith. The frontcourt tandem of Horford and Smith are 24 and 25, respectively, and both have yet to reach their physical primes. Secondly, for all the criticism Johnson receives for his $124 million deal, the fact remains that he’s the third-best shooting guard in the NBA right now behind Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. The deal that Johnson signed will ultimately become an anchor to the salary cap as he hits the age most players decline rapidly (2014-16), but right now his presence on the roster is a favorable one.

The widely accepted roster move theory that would push the Hawks into title contention is the acquisition of a true starting center so that Horford can play his natural power forward position. But Horford has excelled as an undersized center, earning his first All-Star appearance last season, and while he struggles defensively against bigger guys in the post his speed and versatility makes him a very tough assignment on the other end of the floor.

The true need for the Hawks is a floor general. The Hawks have been seeking a game changing point guard since passing over Chris Paul, Deron Williams and to a lesser extend Raymond Felton in the 2005 draft for Marvin Williams. We all witnessed the chemistry that Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire demonstrated in Phoenix for years, can you imagine Nash in the open court with Horford and Smith filling the lanes?

On the surface, the Hawks can’t offer much in talent in return for Nash. The Hawks have shopped Williams but have found no takers, plus the Suns already possess a plethora of wing players. But the Hawks do have the expiring contract of Jamal Crawford, which basically matches what Nash is on the books for this year.

At first glance most would laugh at the suggestion of a Nash for Crawford (and a first round pick) swap straight up. However, the Suns have some real big decisions to make. Is it time to blow it up and start over? If so, acquiring Crawford’s expiring deal along with the recently acquired Vince Carter’s near $19 million non-guaranteed contract next season and Phoenix would then possess $30 million in freed of cap room – which would be plenty of flexibility to start the rebuilding process.

The Hawks should aggressively pursue Nash if he became available, but not at the expense of Horford, Smith or Johnson. But if the team can acquire him for a package with Crawford (straight up), or Marvin Williams, Jordan Crawford (and Mike Bibby) for example then executive vice president and general manager Rick Sund should pick up the phone and work some Magic.
The Phoenix Suns do, indeed, seem intent on blowing it up and starting over. If that weren’t the plan, they never would have let Amar’e Stoudemire walk away, not on the heels of the team’s unlikely appearance in the Western Conference Finals. Now, with the conference finals ever-shrinking in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to set Nash free . . .and the Atlanta Hawks not only have a need, but also a shot at making the Finals with Nash at the helm.

Read more NBA news and insight: http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=18398#ixzz1AwqOxM2X