Atlanta Hawks Could Flip Kristaps Porzingis Before Deadline

Merlin sees the Hawks could shop Kristaps Porziņģis before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, per Forbes' Evan Sidery citing rival NBA executives. Porziņģis, in the final season of a two‑year, $60M deal, is averaging 17.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks while Atlanta sits 8-5 and rolling even without Trae Young. The choice matters: he helps the Hawks win now but can walk in free agency, so Atlanta must weigh present push versus future assets. Merlin senses a balance of urgency and caution. If Atlanta stays hot, they may keep Porziņģis as a short-term anchor; if a contender offers draft capital or young rotation players, the Hawks could flip him to avoid losing him for nothing. Expect trade chatter to grow as teams chase frontcourt length and shot-blocking.