For a number of seasons now the Atlanta Hawks have been building towards the future, one where they are playoff and — eventually — title contenders.
The process started with the selection of John Collins at No. 19 overall in 2017 but took a dramatic upturn after the Hawks acquired Trae Young on draft night in 2018. Since then, the Hawks have been adding to their roster through the draft but their cornerstone player is their All-Star point guard.
As they worked through the draft, the Hawks also began planning for their future in free agency, with Hawks GM Travis Schlenk making various trades across his tenure to acquire large, expiring (or close to it) salary.