Atlanta Hawks 6th Man Of The Year Candidate Linked To Denver Nuggets In New Major Trade Rumor

De'Andre Hunter has been playing lights out for the Hawks this season and other teams could be looking to trade for the former top four pic

Dec 6, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) dunks past Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in overtime at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The NBA is entering trade rumor season. With the Dec. 15 trade window now passed, more players around the league can be traded and contending teams are going to be looking around the league for upgrades to their roster as they chase a championship. One team that is going to be looking for an upgrade is the Denver Nuggets. Denver is 14-11 and in the thick of the Western Conference Standings, but the Nuggets have not looked like a dominant team this year. They are still good, but this franchise is looking to maximize the window for three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who is having another incredible season.

The Nuggets are indeed looking for upgrades and according to Tony Jones and Sam Amick at The Athletic, one of those upgrades might be Hawks forward and 6th Man Of The Year Candidate De'Andre Hunter. In a new report, Jones and Amick linked Hunter to the Nuggets:

"As a result, the Nuggets have either expressed interest in, or have had preliminary trade discussions on the following players: Chicago’s Zach Lavine, Washington’s Jordan Poole, Utah’s Jordan Clarkson, Atlanta’s De’Andre Hunter, Brooklyn’s Cam Johnson and Washington’s Jonas Valančiūnas.

League sources say the focus on LaVine in recent discussions is significant, with the Nuggets interested in the 29-year-old who is averaging 21.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists this season. LaVine, a two-time All-Star, is owed $43 million this season, $45.9 million next season and has a player option worth $48.9 million for the 2026-27 campaign."

Now it should be noted that the reported interest is coming from the Nuggets side. It does not say that Atlanta is interested in dealing Hunter are are in active talks to move Hunter. While he has been involved in plenty of trade rumors in the past, it might not be wise for the Hawks to deal Hunter.

After an early absence to start the season, Hunter has been playing arguably the best basketball of his career. He is currently the Hawks third leading scorer, averaging 19.3 PPG on 47% shooting from the field and 45% from three. He has thrived in his role coming off of the bench and is a huge reason for the Hawks recent surge. Atlanta has won seven of their last nine games and got to the NBA Cup Semifinals before losing to Milwaukee. HIs season has led him to being in contention for the 6th Man of the Year award and at Fanduel Sportsbook, he is currently second in the odds for the award, trailing only Payton Pritchard.

There are likely going to be more reports coming out linking Hunter to various teams, but remember, until something says otherwise, there is nothing out there saying the Hawks are actively looking to trade Hunter.

It will be interesting to see how the Hawks handle the deadline. If they feel like they can grab a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference, do they become buyers and try to make a run? Or do they stand pat and let this group see what happens? Atlanta is a young team with guys like Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, and Jalen Johnson being the cornerstones for the franchise and they may just want to see how these guys continue to improve. Unless there is a great deal out there that benefits not only the Hawks for this season but the future as well, I think Atlanta may just sit tight at the deadline. The next month or so will be vital for the Hawks to figure this out.

Additional Links:

Updated Eastern Conference Standings: Atlanta Remains In Hunt For Top-Six Seed After NBA Cup Run

NBA Analyst Poses Tough Question About Hawks No. 1 Pick Zaccharie Risacher

Key Takeaways From the Atlanta Hawks NBA Cup Run