Are the Hawks targeting a big man to play alongside Trae Young?

With the NBA less than a week away from the draft and only two weeks away from the start of free agency, the rumor mill is starting to pick up steam. Could the Hawks be making a move for a new big man?
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The Atlanta Hawks are entering an important offseason for the direction of the franchise. Quin Snyder’s first summer in Atlanta will reportedly be marked with change. He has a star in Trae Young, but he also has what feels like the island of misfit toys. Dejounte Murray is entering the final year of his deal, John Collins is reportedly on the trading block (again), and there are several other faces that may not see themselves on this roster come October.

With the NBA Draft coming up on Thursday, the rumor mill is in picking up steam.

One of the reported deals that the Hawks are exploring is the potential for Pascal Siakam and Zion Williamson. The report, initially coming from Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports, is no more than a rumor at this point, but John Fricke reacted to the idea that they could get added this summer.

The 29-year-old Pascal Siakam is coming off one of his best as a pro. He averaged 24.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists while shooting 48.0 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from three.

He is a unique talent that can impact the game both on and off the ball, but John is not fully convinced he would be enough for the Hawks.

“Pascal Siakam, in and of himself, is not going to win you a title,” John said. “Trae Young and Pascal Siakam, is not a combination is going to win your championship. However, Trae, Pascal Siakam, and someone else. OK, now we're talking.”

One of the names he floated was Zion Williamson.

The disgruntled star forward from New Orleans has far from delivered on his massive expectations when he was selected first overall. He was supposed to be a franchise-changer, but injuries and weight concerns have kept him off the floor. Yet John thinks the Hawks should throw those worries out the window because the talent speaks for itself.

“Maybe he needs to grow up a little bit and kind of pick and choose a little bit better. But that's, you know, on him,” John continued. “The injury situation, look, he lost a lot of weight and got himself back into shape. I just think that coming here -- where I think he really wanted to come to begin with -- I think we'd see a different Zion Williamson and I'd be willing to take that gamble.”

When he is on the floor, the young star has been as promised. While Zion still needs to develop a three-point shot, he still scores at a high volume (26.0 points per game) and is a difference-maker on defense.

The fit in Atlanta would be pretty seamless for both of these guys and it could be worth monitoring as we move into this week.

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