Potential Trade Partners
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are coming off their first playoff appearance in three seasons, finishing sixth in the conference with 46 wins, their most since 2015-16. The Hawks took the New York Knicks to six games in the first round, but their bench didn’t provide much besides Jonathan Kuminga.
Atlanta could use an upgrade in its backcourt, and CJ McCollum is an unrestricted free agent. The Hawks project to be $13 million under the salary cap at the start of the offseason. They have two first-round picks in 2026, a lottery selection (via trade), and the No. 23 selection from Cleveland.
Proposed Trade
Atlanta gets:
Jrue Holiday
Portland gets:
No. 23 first round 2026 pick (via CLE)
If this hypothetical trade gets done, it likely won’t happen until July, when the teams’ books theoretically reset. Kispert, under contract through 2028-29, is the type of player the Blazers need, as he is a solid shooter off the bench. He posted a solid true-shooting percentage of 60.9% and made 1.5 treys per game this past season between his time with Atlanta and the Washington Wizards. The Blazers’ bench was ranked in the bottom five in the league, and their reserves shot a league-low 31.8% from deep.
Hield may not need to be included in the trade, depending on how the salary cap situation ultimately plays out and when the trade would be official. The 33-year-old struggled mightily this season and barely got off the bench with the Hawks. Still, he knocked down 1.5 threes a game in 2025-26 and is a career 40% shooter from deep, averaging nearly three triples a contest.
This appears to be a win-win trade for both squads. However, the Hawks could ultimately choose to re-sign McCollum.
