With the NBA trade deadline fast approaching, all eyes are on the Atlanta Hawks - and for good reason. Sitting four games below .500 and locked in a battle just to stay in the Play-In conversation, Atlanta is a team that feels like it’s on the brink of making a move.
After all, they’ve already dealt the face of the franchise. At this point, very little feels off-limits - except, of course, Jalen Johnson, who’s emerged as one of the few untouchables on the roster.
This is a team with options. Atlanta has a rare blend of flexibility and clarity - a combination that can be dangerous in the best way at the trade deadline.
They’ve got young talent, draft capital, and most importantly, they know where they’re coming up short. That kind of self-awareness makes it a lot easier to identify the right targets.
Let’s start with the obvious: the Hawks are getting beat up in the paint. Rebounding and rim protection have been consistent weak spots, and it’s showing up night after night.
Onyeka Okongwu has taken a step forward offensively in his first full season as the starting center, but defensively, his lack of size has been a real issue. The Hawks are struggling to match up physically with teams that can dominate inside.
Kristaps Porzingis was supposed to be the answer - the floor-spacing, shot-blocking big who could anchor both ends. But between an illness and an Achilles injury, he’s only played in 17 of the team’s 46 games. That’s left Atlanta searching for stability, and they might just find it in an unexpected place.
Enter Goga Bitadze.
He’s not the kind of name that’ll light up headlines, but for what the Hawks need right now, he might be the perfect fit. The Orlando Magic haven’t lived up to the preseason hype, and while they’re not moving off cornerstones like Paolo Banchero or Franz Wagner, they could look to retool the back end of their rotation. If that happens, Bitadze should be available - and Atlanta should be first in line.
At 6’11”, 250 pounds, Bitadze brings the kind of physical presence the Hawks have been missing. He’s efficient around the rim, a sneaky-good passer for a big, and he doesn’t need the ball to make an impact. His game complements Okongwu’s well, and more importantly, he offers something the Hawks desperately need: rim protection.
Bitadze has quietly been one of the more effective paint defenders off the bench this season. He’s not just big - he knows how to use his size.
He alters shots, controls the glass, and brings a level of toughness that Atlanta’s frontcourt rotation could really use. He’s averaging over five rebounds a game in under 17 minutes - that’s production that scales up nicely if given a bigger role.
And then there’s the contract. Bitadze is on the books for just under $8 million per year over the next two seasons.
In today’s NBA, that’s a bargain - especially for a two-way big who fits the timeline of a young, evolving roster. He wouldn’t just be a short-term patch; he could be a long-term piece.
For a Hawks team trying to claw its way back into the playoff picture, this is the kind of move that makes sense. It’s not flashy.
It’s not headline-grabbing. But it’s smart.
Bitadze addresses real needs without disrupting the cap sheet or the long-term vision. He’s the type of under-the-radar addition that could help flip the narrative on a season that’s been teetering on the edge.
If Atlanta’s front office is serious about making a push - not just for the Play-In, but for a more stable future - this is the kind of deal that could quietly pay major dividends.