5 best trades in Hawks history, ranked

The Atlanta Hawks’ trade for Dominique Wilkins in 1982 stands out as the best trade in the history of the franchise.

The Atlanta Hawks franchise has been around for over 70 years. The Hawks have been a franchise since 1946 when they were called the Buffalo Bisons, and the NBA was called the National Basketball League or NBL.

The Hawks aren’t nearly as successful of a franchise as some of the NBA’s other old franchises, such as the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, though. The team has won just one NBA title in its existence, and that was all the way back in the year 1958 when they beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals. And the Hawks have made it all the way to the NBA Finals only three times, and their most recent finals appearance was in 1961, over 60 years ago.

The Hawks certainly aren’t one of the more successful teams in NBA history, but they’ve still had their fair share of success over the years. And the Hawks have also made plenty of great trades during their seven-plus-decade existence, as some of the best players in franchise history were acquired via trade, such as Joe Johnson and Dominique Wilkins, just to name a few.

With all of that said, let’s rank the five best trades in the history of the Atlanta Hawks franchise:

5. Hawks trade for Kyle Korver

In July of 2012, the Chicago Bulls traded Kyle Korver to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for cash considerations. Korver isn’t as accomplished of a player as the others on this list, but he still had a very productive five-season stint with the Hawks.

Kyle Korver averaged 10.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game across 332 total regular-season appearances with the Hawks franchise (307 starts).

His most valuable skill was his ability to shoot the ball from behind the three-point arc. Korver was arguably the best three-point shooter in the league during his time with the Hawks, as he led the league in three-point percentage in three of his five seasons in Atlanta.

Korver’s best season with the Hawks came during the 2014-15 season. He averaged 12.1 points per game in the regular season and shot a league-best 49.2 percent from behind the three-point arc. These numbers were good enough for Korver to earn the first and only All-Star nod of his pro career.

The 2014-15 Hawks experienced a lot of success collectively, too. They won 60 games during the regular season and advanced all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals before being swept by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

4. Hawks trade for Jamal Crawford

In June of 2009, the Atlanta Hawks traded Acie Law and Speedy Claxton to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Jamal Crawford.

Jamal Crawford spent just two seasons in Atlanta, but they were very memorable two seasons, as he established himself as one of the best sixth men in the history of the franchise.

Crawford averaged 16.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 0.8 steals per game across 155 regular-season appearances with the Hawks (zero starts).

His best season as a Hawk came during the 2009-10 season when he averaged 18.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 0.8 steals per game during the regular season and won the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award.

Jamal Crawford’s best playoff series with Atlanta came against the Orlando Magic in the first round of the 2011 playoffs. He was arguably Atlanta’s best player during this series, as he averaged a team-high 20.5 points per game on 45.9 percent shooting from behind the three-point arc, and the Hawks went on to eliminate Dwight Howard and the Magic in six games.

3. Hawks trade for Steve Smith

In November of 1994, the Atlanta Hawks traded Kevin Willis to the Miami Heat in exchange for Grant Long and Steve Smith, who both went on to have successful stints with the Hawks.

Steve Smith was the best player that Atlanta received in this trade. Smith earned one All-Star appearance in his five seasons with the Hawks and averaged 18.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 0.9 steals per game in 339 regular-season appearances with the Hawks (320 starts).

Smith’s best season as a Hawk came during the 1997-98 season when he averaged 20.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game during the regular season and earned the first and only All-Star nod of his pro career.

While Smith undoubtedly had a better Hawks career than Grant Long, Long was productive during his three seasons with the Hawks. He averaged 11.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per game in 211 regular-season games played as a member of the Hawks (172 starts).

2. Hawks trade for Joe Johnson

In August of 2005, the Atlanta Hawks traded Boris Diaw and two first-round picks to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Joe Johnson, who is now remembered as one of the best players in the history of the Hawks franchise.

Joe Johnson earned six All-Star appearances in his seven seasons with the Hawks and averaged 20.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game across 508 total regular-season games with the franchise (all starts).

Joe Johnson’s best season as a Hawk came during his second season in Atlanta, the 2006-07 season, as he averaged a career-high 25.0 points per game during the regular season and shot 47.1 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from behind the three-point arc.

The Hawks didn’t make it past the second round of the postseason when Johnson was with the franchise, but that wasn’t his fault. He was an underrated clutch performer who usually played well in big games.

For example, in the first round of the 2008 playoffs, Johnson and the eighth-seeded Hawks took a Boston Celtics team that would go on to win the championship to seven games, and Johnson had himself a fantastic series. He averaged 20.0 points and 4.0 assists per game in the series.

After his stint with Atlanta came to an end after the 2011-12 season, Joe Johnson went on to play for five more teams — the Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat, Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets, and Boston Celtics — before retiring from the NBA at the age of 40.

1. Hawks trade for Dominique Wilkins

Back in 1982, the Atlanta Hawks made the best trade in the history of the franchise. They traded Freeman Williams and John Drew to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Dominique Wilkins, arguably the best player in the history of the Hawks franchise.

Dominique Wilkins accomplished so much during his 12 seasons as a member of the Hawks, both from an individual and collective standpoint. He made nine All-Star teams with the Hawks, led the league in scoring once, during the 1985-86 season, and averaged 26.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game in 882 total regular-season games played with the franchise.

Wilkins’ best season in Atlanta came during the 1985-86 season when he averaged a league-leading 30.3 points per game during the regular season and shot 46.8 percent from the field.

But, most importantly, Dominique Wilkins’ Hawks teams enjoyed plenty of postseason success. The Hawks made the postseason in nine of his 12 seasons in Atlanta. Atlanta never made it past the second round of the playoffs in any of the seasons that Wilkins was on the team, but that’s because there were dynasties in his way of a title. First, it was Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics who gave Wilkins’ Hawks trouble, followed by the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls in the 1990s.

The Hawks may not have made a conference finals with Dominique Wilkins on the team, but that doesn’t make Atlanta’s run of nine postseason appearances in 12 seasons any less of an impressive feat. And this feat wouldn’t have been possible without the contributions of Wilkins, as he was one of the best scorers of his generation and undoubtedly one of the most talented players ever to wear an Atlanta Hawks jersey.