After bowing out of the NBA playoffs in the first round, the Atlanta Hawks must consider making trades to improve their roster. Trae Young, of course, remains untouchable. He’s the Hawks’ leader moving forward. Other pieces, however, should be expendable as the team needs improvement and there are plenty of appealing players on the roster.
Atlanta Hawks: Two Trades to Consider
The Three-Team Trade
Atlanta Hawks receive Rudy Gobert and Jared Butler.
Utah Jazz receive Clint Capela, Malik Beasley, Leandro Bolmaro, a 2023 first-round pick swap with Atlanta, and Atlanta’s 2022 second-round pick.
Minnesota Timberwolves receive Danilo Gallinari and Jalen Johnson.
Capela is a solid option in Atlanta. With that being said, it’s rare for a player like Gobert to become available in today’s NBA. Tensions in Utah seem high within the team, so Gobert may be expendable. He will upgrade the Hawks’ defense in a major way, but also provide an excellent rim option with Young. In addition, the Hawks receive a young, defensive guard who may be seen as a replacement for Delon Wright.
Utah is ready for change, and they get it here. Capela can do almost everything like Gobert but at a slightly lower level. He won’t lower Utah’s ceiling too much. Utah, however, also lands a two-way player in Beasley. He can rain down threes, which the Jazz love to do, but also play strong perimeter defense. Utah definitely needs an upgrade on the perimeter. There are other attractive pieces here too.
Finally, Minnesota adds a veteran presence and a potential starting frontcourt player. Gallinari is an offensive weapon who can thrive alongside the young Timberwolves core. Plenty of other players in Minnesota will get a lot of defensive attention leading to open shots for Gallinari.
Rounding out the Roster
Atlanta Hawks receive Luguentz Dort, Darius Bazley, and two second-round picks.
Oklahoma City Thunder receive John Collins.
The Thunder love to stockpile assets and rebuild. When an opportunity comes to quicken the rebuild, they should pounce. Oklahoma City has a terrific backcourt in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, which makes Dort expendable.
Dort is a very strong “three-and-d” option who averaged 17 points per game this season. He’s a great fit alongside Young in Atlanta’s backcourt, especially with Young’s defensive deficiencies. Bazley is an up-and-coming forward who just averaged around 11 points and six boards this season. His athleticism also makes him a good fit in Atlanta. He also wouldn’t be rushed to start with Gallinari remaining a Hawk.
Collins is only 24-years-old and already and already signed a contract extension. He fits the Thunder’s timeline, but also will pair very well with the young guards they have. Gilgeous-Alexander keeps his role as the number-one option, but creates a major pick-and-roll threat with Collins. Giddey looks to be as creative as players come, and will be launching endless lobs to Collins. Pair these three players with whomever Oklahoma City selects in the first round of this upcoming draft, and the Thunder look a lot more ready for a playoffs return.
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