The Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Clippers are two teams mired in the National Basketball Association divisions, and both are rumored to be in the market for Serbian guard Aleksa Avramovic, arguably the best defender in the Olympics, to bolster their squads.
Avramovic is talented on the defensive side of the basketball and currently has an opt-out clause in his contract with CSKA Moscow, giving fans of both teams hope he could be in a Hawks or Clippers uniform next season, according to Serbian news site OzonPress.com.
The Hawks-Clippers rumors emerged as Hawks star Trae Young slammed the NBA’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day scheduling. The NBA’s 2024-2025 schedule release also included information about Dejounte Murray’s planned return to Hotspur on Dec. 2.
Abramovich performed well at the Olympics and is currently being linked with a move to either team.
Avramovic’s Serbian Showcase
Avramovic is a 29-year-old, 6-foot-4 guard who finished 37th on the 2024 Summer Olympics scoring list. He averaged 2.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game and was a great defensive player.
He averaged 1.7 steals per game during the Olympic Games and shot 36.8% from three-point range. Abramovich is a skilled player who can impact the game both defensively and defensively and could be a good fit for either the Hawks or Clippers.
He would add size to the Hawks’ backcourt centered around Trae Young and provide much-needed defense and big-game international experience to the Clippers, who may be trading for Kawhi Leonard this offseason.
Hawks’ chances of acquiring Serbian star soon end
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The point guard’s release clause in his contract expires in three days, giving the Hawks, Clippers and other NBA suitors little time to make a move to acquire Abramovich.
Quin Snyder’s Atlantic Hawks could swoop in and offer to pay the buyout clause that would be a prerequisite to bringing him to the U.S. If Quin Snyder and the Hawks don’t make a move, Tyronn Lue’s Clippers could try to bring him to the U.S. by offering him more playing time than the 19.9 minutes he played in the Olympics.
All things considered, both the Clippers and Hawks have a chance to acquire the Serbian star, who was named the conference’s best defender this fall. It won’t be easy, and time is running out. Now it’s up to both teams to decide whether it’s worth the effort to get Abramovich out of his home country and his place of employment.