Atlanta Hawks: Trade Target #4 – Hood, Burke, Booker

With trade talk and rumors starting to swirl around multiple players and teams, we examine another possibility for the Atlanta Hawks.

Over the last two weeks, we’ve put together multiple trade scenarios based on available players that the Hawks could try to bring in at the deadline. Dwight Howard, Greg Monroe and, to a lesser extent, Anthony Tolliver are all players that could help the Atlanta Hawks down the stretch in some way, shape, form or fashion.  But in all of those deals, there was a particular player that the Hawks would covet.  In today’s edition, we explore a deal where the Hawks would add depth at multiple positions.

Trade Target #4 – Rodney Hood, Trey Burke and Trevor Booker

Over the last few days, there have been rumors about the Atlanta Hawks shopping Jeff Teague and/or Dennis Schroder.  Yahoo Sports’ Chris Mannix broke the story a few days ago and then the reports starting coming in that the Knicks and Jazz had interest in Teague.  The below trade would send Teague out West to the Jazz, a team in need of a PG since Dante Exum went down with a torn ACL last summer.

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=hh4k9ms

Note: Atlanta would also receive Utah’s 2016 2nd Round Pick

Atlanta  Hawks

Trade speculation is just that, speculation.  And most reported rumors and “trades” never materialize.  Very few people know who actually leak these “rumors” but one person that I have the utmost respect for in the basketball reporting community is Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.  He knows his stuff, is hooked up and has eyes/ears everywhere within the League.  I trust his sources along with the sources of the people he works with.  That being said, it was Yahoo Sports that reported the Jeff Teague rumor and as the old saying goes, where there’s smoke…

So in this deal, the Hawks send Teague, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Mike Muscala (player matching since both rosters are full) in return for Hood, Burke and Booker.  The Hawks replace both Teague and THJ with Burke and Hood along with swapping Muscala for Booker.  What the Hawks lose in the Teague swap, they gain in the upgrade that Hood provides over THJ as well as the obvious upgrade at the four spot as Booker would help the team up front immediately, especially if Millsap is out for very long with his ankle.

Both Hood and Burke are young and under team control for the next few seasons as is the case with both Teague and THJ, but at a discounted price.  Hood is a more versatile wing (6’8 as opposed to Hardaway’s 6’6) who is a better defender that THJ is and shoots the three ball better which is something the Hawks will need as we transition out of the Kyle Korver era over the next two seasons.

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The Hawks, who need help up front would get Booker in the deal, who is on an expiring contract and wouldn’t cost the team anything further if he didn’t fit the system.  On the other hand, the Hawks would own his Bird Rights and would be able to sign him long term if Al Horford decides to bolt in free agency or if the Hawks decide they don’t want to ante up for what he is going to command on the open market.  Booker is an above average rebounder and would help the Hawks in that aspect without commanding the ball or disrupting the flow on offense.

Burke has been somewhat of a disappointment in Utah since being drafted in the lottery a few years back and a change of scenery might be just what the Dr. ordered for him.  He’s been a more efficient player this season and would be a good fit off the Hawk bench and leader of that second unit as Dennis Schroder would slide into the starting role.

Utah Jazz

The Jazz are currently percentage points behind the Blazers for the 8th spot in the West.  Adding a player of Teague’s caliber at a position of need would assuredly vault them ahead of the Blazers for that 8th spot and solidify them as a playoff team.  The quartet of Teague/Hayward/Favors/Gobert would be an upgrade over anything they currently have.  The team has been in search of their next PG for the last few years but haven’t found him yet.  Burke has been a disappointment and Exum’s injury has led him to miss much needed development time.  Teague is a proven player and a former All-Star so the Jazz would immediately get better.

But as with any deal, you can’t get something without giving up something.  And in this case, the Jazz part ways with promising young wing Rodney Hood.  They get Tim Hardaway Jr. back in the deal but he isn’t the player that Hood is at this point.  They would fill similar roles for the Jazz so there would be no need for the team to go out and try to find a roster spot filler.  Hood has really made great strides this season but the team already has Gordon Hayward at that same position who they just signed to a big contract.  He is the prized piece that the Hawks receive in return for Teague.

Booker would be a big loss for the Jazz as Muscala isn’t anywhere near that talent level, but with him being on an expiring deal and the team looking to upgrade at the point guard position, the team should be willing to let him go considering the upgrade they’d be getting at point.  Muscala can stretch the floor and has some length, but he really hasn’t taken that next step forward that Hawks’ fans were hoping to see this season.  But then again, he doesn’t see the floor very much and losing Booker would open up minutes in the frontcourt for the Jazz.  They’ll likely go to another promising young player in Trey Lyles, but Moose might be able to give the team a few good minutes here and there.

Next: Trade Target #3 - Anthony Tolliver

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