2019 NBA Draft: Atlanta Hawks Trade Taurean Prince to Nets for Crabbe, #17 Pick

A quick recap of the Atlanta Hawks trading away Taurean Prince to the Brooklyn Nets for Allen Crabbe and a first round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Seemingly out of the blue, the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets swung a deal for Taurean Prince, Allen Crabbe and a trio of draft picks – including the Nets’ very attractive #17 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Right off the bat, this looks like a terrific deal for both sides, as the Hawks had to give up very little in order to accrue two future first round picks: The #17 overall selection in the 2019 NBA Draft and a lottery-protected first round pick in 2020.

For their trouble, the Hawks had to take on the salary for Allen Crabbe, who is set to expire next offseason.

This has all the markings of what have now become commonplace Travis Schlenk masterstrokes in the offseason, as he is adept at taking on money while accruing assets – while also not particularly hampering the Atlanta Hawks in terms of long-term flexibility.

Furthermore, this deal makes the Hawks’ haul in the 2019 NBA Draft even better than their three first round picks in the 2018 draft. This year, the Hawks will pick at 8, 10 and now 17 in the first round compared to last year’s selections at 3, 19 and 30.

For the Nets, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, this allows Brooklyn to clear enough space for two max salary spots – as long as they don’t re-sign D’Angelo Russell.

Wojnarowski explicitly goes on to explore the possibility that this trade will open the door for Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to sign in Brooklyn with the Nets.

Though this all extremely tantalizing and exciting stuff, let’s not let it get lost in the shuffle: Taurean Prince will definitely help the Nets next season as a sweet-shooting wing next to whoever the Nets trout out in their starting lineup.

Expect a huge amount of coverage of this deal over the next few days. As always, keep it locked to Soaring Down South to keep abreast of all the Atlanta Hawks news and updates ahead of the 2019 NBA Draft.