By: TJ Hartnett

GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services

Look, we all knew that the 2018-19 season was going to be a tough one for the Atlanta Hawks.

We hoped for the best; not that they would contend, but that they would show some sparks and some reasons for future excitement.

At the very least, the front office would be able to get a feel for what they were working with and how they could start making improvements during the rebuilding process.

And it’s been tough.

Now that is bad news. However, it provides the front office a place to start as they look for trade options to improve their struggling roster. So where will they look? The key is looking at where some of the pieces the Hawks might see fit to move could end up and what those trades could bring back to Atlanta.

As a team in the middle of a rebuild, the Hawks’ rookie core is where Atlanta will hang their hat and they will try to strengthen that core with even more young talent.

They don’t get much younger than the 76ers Markelle Fultz, who can’t legally drink until next May. With Jimmy Butler arriving in Philly, Fultz is going to get even fewer touches, and his relationship with the Philadelphia brass is fairly fraught after an injury that neither side thinks was handled well by the other.

If Fultz wants to start over with a new franchise where he is sure to spend a fair amount of minutes on the court instead of the sidelines, Atlanta is the best location.

He’ll have the added bonus of being a key player on a team with none of the associated stress, since Atlanta has already been written off and forgotten about by pretty much everyone. Fultz could use that breathing room to regain his college form.

What might it take to pry Fultz away from the 76ers? How about some insurance at center? When Joel Embiid leaves the game for Philly, he leaves a void that Amir Johnson and Mike Muscala just can’t fill. However, Dewayne Dedmon might be able to handle it. Dedmon can play the position plus hit a three when he needs to.

The lanky center is far from the only moveable piece on the Hawks’ current roster. The other notable veterans that might benefit the Hawks move by being shipped off are Kent Bazemore and Jeremy Lin.

Lin isn’t the kind of superstar that would bring back an incredible haul, but if the Hawks can find a partner that desperately needs a point guard, they could fetch themselves a young player with a high upside.

Bazemore has been the Hawks’ sole constant during the last few years, the final remaining player from brighter days in Atlanta’s NBA history (and he only arrived in 2014), but his stellar defensive play is being wasted.

He’s a starting player for a team that needs one. The Pelicans need one and would likely be willing to part ways with a future first-round pick to get their hands on a player like Baze.

As tough as it might be to see some of the more experienced players depart from a team that is lacking in bright spots, the Hawks have to consider 2019 and beyond.

This season was a lost cause before the very first tip-off; this double-digit losing streak has only brought that into clearer focus. If the Hawks want to improve, they’ll need to start by trading players who are more valuable to others than to Atlanta.