Could Atlanta Hawks Trade for High-Upside Rookie Mo Bamba?
By Chris Guest
With trade rumors rumbling all over the league, could the Atlanta Hawks swing a deal for rookie big man Mo Bamba?
After the seismic Kristaps Porzingis trade, every NBA writer, blogger and podcaster rushed to respond with rapid reactions and breathless recaps. For the Atlanta Hawks, it certainly seems as if they could’ve put an attractive offer on the table for the Zinger, but clearly Hawks General Manager Travis Schlenk felt that he was not the best fit or too much of an injury risk.
However, in a recent episode of the Brian Windhorst and the Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Windhorst tossed off a line very quickly – with no additional information – that the Orlando Magic were openly shopping their first-round pick from the 2018 Draft, Mohamed Bamba, in trade talks.
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It seems rather surprising that the Magic would be so eager to give up a player they selected 6th overall just over 7 months ago, but while Bamba and Jonathan Isaac combine for fearsome length and defensive impact, the offensive fit between the two players overlaps considerably.
With Bamba on the trade market the Atlanta Hawks, and GM Schlenk, should at least see what the Magic are looking for in a potential deal.
Almost certainly, the Magic will be looking to get a first round pick in return for dealing Bamba, which immediately presents a roadblock for the Hawks – who are themselves looking to accrue as many draft assets as possible as part of the team’s rebuild.
However, the Magic are technically still trying to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference (currently 11th in the East, 4 games back of 8th), so maybe they would eschew a draft pick in order to get better in the short-term while also unloading a bad salary.
If so, the Atlanta Hawks could take advantage of that with a deal such as this one:
In this deal, the Hawks would take on the dead salary of Timofey Mozgov in order to obtain Bamba. The Magic, on the other hand, would finally get a rock-solid starting point guard in Jeremy Lin as well as future building blocks (and talented young players) Taurean Prince and Tyler Dorsey, who have both been mentioned as being on the trading block. (Note: This deal would also work if SDS favorite Melvin Frazier and Justin Anderson were added going to the Hawks and Magic respectively.)
Again, it seems unlikely that Orlando would want to send out Bamba for a rental of Lin for half a season, but perhaps the added value of two good young players and the removal of Mozgov’s contract could make this possible.
3 Hawks Trades Featured on Recent Dunc'd On Podcast. dark. Next
The Atlanta Hawks are sure to make a move ahead of the February 7 trade deadline, so keep it locked to Soaring Down South for all your Atlanta Hawks news and updates.