Report: Hawks Emerge as Potential Trade Partner for Cavs

The Atlanta Hawks are in a solid position to move up in the 2019 NBA Draft, and the Cleveland Cavaliers could emerge as a potential trade partner.

The Cavs have been reported to be a team looking to move in various directions in this year’s draft, and the possibility of a trade with the Hawks presents an interesting scenario.

As Wojnarowski pointed out, the Hawks now have three picks in the top 20 of this year’s draft. The team acquired the 17th pick along with forward Allen Crabbe in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.

The Cavs currently have the No. 5 overall pick, which some expect will turn into Duke University’s Cam Reddish. Many Cavs players have stated that they believe in Reddish’s potential to emerge as the best player out of the Duke trio of Reddish, R.J. Barrett, and Zion Williamson.

A potential trade between both teams would likely have the Cavs giving up their fifth pick in exchange for the Hawks’ eighth and 10th picks. If this trade were to go down, there’s still a decent chance that Reddish would be available with the eighth overall pick. The 10th pick would give Cleveland a good chance to select another promising young player.

If the Cavs are to rebuild successfully, then drafting and developing young players is of paramount importance.

There are no guarantees that a trade between both teams will materialize. However, it should not be surprising if the Cavs play a prominent role in trade conversations in the coming weeks leading up to the draft.