Picking three teams the Atlanta Hawks could trade with on draft night.
The NBA Draft is nearly here and that means the Atlanta Hawks are (finally) back in the news. They’ll be one of the most interesting teams to watch on the November 18th event, given the likelihood that they trade their pick.
The team could easily swap their sixth overall pick for some veteran help or put that pick together with one of their young players to pull off a blockbuster move.
Here we’ll be taking a look at three teams the Hawks could make a move with on draft night, starting with the Orlando Magic.
3. Orlando Magic
What they could offer: Evan Fournier, 15th pick, Terrance Ross, Aaron Gordon, Khem Birch, Mo Bamba.
If the Atlanta Hawks are serious about adding veterans, the Magic are a great place to look. Their roster is essentially full of role players to go along with borderline star Aaron Gordon and true All-Star Nikola Vucevic.
I’ve written in the past about Fournier’s fit with the Hawks and he’s certainly an intriguing option still. Is he worth the number six pick alone? probably not, but it could work if it looked something like this:
This is where Magic fans call overpay, and they’re probably right. But if the Magic are in rebuild mode (it’s unclear whether they or not), or prize a prospect that won’t fall to their 15th pick, this could work for both squads.
It is worth noting that Fournier has a player option which he has not opted into yet. If he opts out, this trade wouldn’t be possible, but the Hawks could sign him in free agency.
2. Boston Celtics
What they could offer: Gordon Hayward, picks 14, 26 and 30, Daniel Theis, Grant Williams.
One team that has been rumored to be wanting to move up, Boston has a handful of picks they could flip into a mid-lottery selection. The Hawks barely want one rookie, let alone a handful, which takes away Boston’s biggest trade asset.
Hayward and Theis are interesting additions, especially the former. The forward hasn’t quite been himself since leaving Utah (an ankle injury playing a major factor in that) but showed glimpses of his old self in 2019-20.
He’d probably be no more than an expensive rental, but could give the Atlanta Hawks’ offense a fun wrinkle.
Theis would be more fun if the team didn’t already load up on centers, picking up Dewayne Dedmon and Clint Capela at the deadline.
In the end, the Hawks are a good target for the Celtics if they’re serious about moving up, but not a great matchup from Atlanta’s perspective unless they get a player back.
1. Philadelphia 76ers
What they could offer: 21st pick, four second-rounders, Josh Richardson, Mike Scott, Zhaire Smith.
The Sixers are an intriguing team, and while there haven’t been any concrete rumors of them wanting to move up, they certainly make sense as a target to do so. With a new coach and President (Doc Rivers, Daryl Morey), the team could look largely different than they did last year.
They have young guys with potential, veteran role players and two bonafide stars, all of which should interest the Hawks.
Moving from six to 21 isn’t a bad thing at all in this deep draft class, especially if you get a stud like Josh Richardson in return.
If (and I do mean if) the team is looking to trade either Ben Simmons or Joel Embiid, the Hawks should be first on the phone. They have the assets to pull off such a move and either of those two would instantly make them legit contenders in the Eastern Conference.
Something to watch.
Do you think the Atlanta Hawk should trade down in the 2020 NBA Draft?