The Atlanta Hawks (22-25) are on a five-game heater with their most recent victory coming convincingly over the Sacramento Kings. They’ve turned up the intensity defensively and are getting lights-play from Trae Young as well as De’Andre Hunter while the bench allowed those two and the rest of the starters to take a breather versus the Kings.
Unfortunately, the run not quelled the trade talks surrounding this group, even after they dealt away Cam Reddish at his request.
After the news broke about the details of a John Collins-for-Ben Simmons deal breaking down over the inclusion of Tobias Harris, it was reported that the Hawks have stepped up their efforts to find a new home for John Collins.
Collins has made it clear he would like a more defined role on offense.
That has brought about the usual slew of trade ideas and proposals from rival teams looking to improve their roster and with Hawks fans trying to do the same. Both sides often operate with the singular focus of getting a player on their team with little regard to the drawbacks. Or, they are giving little to get a lot.
The NBA simply doesn’t work that way and, perhaps for some, the return on Cam Reddish should be evidence.
The Atlanta Hawks have a lot to consider if they want to find a new home for John Collins
With that in mind, it would be prudent to take note of how the most popular rumors connecting the Hawks to some of the other disgruntled stars around the NBA would benefit or hurt the Hawks and their still very-much-alive playoff hopes.
Which ones would be for the best and which ones should they steer clear of entirely?
A note before we continue: none of these are meant to be finalized deals. All of them would most likely include one and probably multiple first-round picks as well as other anciallry pieces. Instead, the deals in the following slides are simply meant to show how the teams involved could make the money work. And now, on to our first assessment.
Pros and cons of trading for Ben Simmons
The hottest rumor has been regarding the Hawks pursuit of Philadelphia 76ers point forward Ben Simmons. It might seem odd to some. The last time we saw Simmons on the floor he was infamously passing up on a dunk and instead deferring to teammate Matisse Thybulle who preceded to blow the layup.
Much was made about the moment including by Simmons’ teammate, Joel Embiid. But the truth is that play came with over three minutes remaining and would simply have tied it.
Regardless, the fallout has Simmons wanting out but the 76ers are reluctant to acquiesce.
They’ve maintained a high asking price with the latest reports being they would rather hold onto Simmons with the idea of adding the Brooklyn Nets James Harden who has reportedly expressed interest in joining and playing alongside Embiid.
The Hawks reportedly balked at the idea of taking on Tobias Harris with Simmons. But the possibility remains they could find a third team to take him on just as any other team could.
Whether or not they want to include the ancillary pieces it would require to swing such a deal.
The proposal above embraces the weird and banks on reports that the 76ers are monitoring Bradley Beal’s situation with the Washington Wizards. Beal has also been linked to the Hawks, but Simmons would make for a much better fit and would seem to satisfy the 6ers intent on landing a player that would blow them away.
It also plays on Philly’s denial of reports they insisted on including Harris in any deal.
Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz also lists Collins as the ideal target for the Wizards who are closer to a rebuild than they want to believe despite Beal’s presence and insistence on remaining in D.C.
Washington could make out like bandits with Collins, Johnson, and a slew of draft picks to convince them to finally part with Beal.
Philly gets their supreme scoring threat to play alongside Embiid.
Meanwhile, the Hawks get Simmons, their prized target, while moving off of another player whose dissatisfaction could lead to fissures in the foundation down the road. That is something they worked to avoid with the trade of Cam Reddish.
Simmons’ defense and passing ability would be tremendous compliments next to Young.
We’ve covered the faults in adding Simmons already from his fit next to the ball-dominant Young as well as having him on the floor at the same time as fellow non-shooter Clint Capela.
We have not discussed how his disposition changing is less likely than a change of scenery. It’s hard to imagine a world in which Simmons asserts himself offensively where Collins couldn’t even without bringing Young into the equation. And he hasn’t exactly responded well to being pushed or prodded either.
Pros and cons of trading for Bradley Beal
The rumor that essentially started it all with this group, adding Bradley Beal would give the Hawks the second scorer and clutch option we’ve long said they needed. Beal is in a down year, averaging 23.6 points 6.5 assists, and 4.8 rebounds. But he’s shooting 45.5 percent from the floor, down from his 48.5 percent mark of last season, and just 30.1 percent from deep.
That’s Beal’s worst efficiency from beyond the arc in his career and his 49.7 effective field goal percentage is his worst mark since 2015, his third season in the NBA.
A three-time All-Star, Beal was an All-NBA Third Teamer last season averaging 31.3 points on 48.5 percent overall and 34.9 percent from outside to go with 4.7 boards, 4.4 assists, and 1.2 steals.
It is no coincidence that Beal had his best season when paired with Russell Westbrook. Beal went from getting 51.3 percent of his looks unassisted to 59.9 percent this season.
This proposal counts on Beal having been at his most efficient when playing with a true point guard and, as of right now, there aren’t that many that are truer than Young. While Young has proven to be a scoring dynamo at this level just as he was in college, many will tell you his vision and passing ability is his best skill.
Only six players in NBA history have ever averaged more than 8.9 assists over the first four years of their career as Young has.
Just three, including Young, have ever done so while averaging at least 24.0 points per game.
He needs a sidekick though, just as Beal needs a set-up man. It would seem to be a match made in basketball heaven. But, just as with Simmons, there are some questions about how Beal’s game helps the Hawks.
The Hawks are seventh in scoring this season. That side of the court hasn’t been the issue. Their issues have been with getting stops and even though Beal’s defensive rating is better than most of the Hawks rotation, he hardly solves that issue. It’s also still negative thanks to his subpar offense this year.
Beal, the third overall pick in 2012, has also sported a negative defensive box plus-minus in all but two seasons in his career.
There is the risk of Beal’s numbers being nothing more than empty calories.
If fans have an issue with Young’s defense, there is no way they could stomach the defense a Beal-Young backcourt would play would have the city up in arms. Especially if it costs them a high-effort player such as Collins.
Kyle Kuzma is probably shooting for the moon in this trade but adding him with Beal would be an absolute boon for the Hawks.
Pros and cons of trading for Brandon Ingram
A personal preference, Brandon Ingram would be the second scoring option the Hawks need in a package that they don’t currently have. At 6-8, Ingram has spent more time at shooting guard this season than he has at small forward per matchup data. And he still can play the four in small-ball lineups.
Ingram is averaging 22.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists shooting 44.3 percent from the floor and 34.5 percent from deep.
That is a down season for the former Duke Blue Devil
He averaged 23.8 points per game each of the last two seasons while shooting better than 46.0 percent from the floor and 38.0 percent from outside. The assist and rebound numbers are both career-highs though.
All of this was why Ingram should be viewed as a better target than Karl-Anthony Towns or Ingram’s teammate, the oft-injured Zion Williamson.
This deal largely depends on how the Pelicans plan to use Zion – he did a lot of handling the ball and scoring off the dribble last season. If they ask him to play a more traditional role then this is off as neither Collins nor Williamson can play the three and they are much like the Hawks in that they can’t trade their center, Jonas Valanciunas, until next season.
Ingram has also had his fair share of injury woes and has missed 11 games this season with Achilles, ankle, and hip injuries.
His slight frame is also a bit of a deterrent in using him as a four; he’s listed at just 190 pounds.
That length at shooting guard though makes him an interesting defensive fit alongside Hunter who has also spent some time at power forward, though, how much the Hawks want him there with his injury history.
But if the Hawks are entertaining the idea of acquiring Beal, they aren’t too concerned with that as much as they are with putting points up.
Ingram certainly can do that.
It would have been interesting if they had moved Reddish to the Pelicans to play with his college teammate in Williamson instead of R.J. Barrett in New York. That could have led to Williamson – who has been rumored to want out – pushing for Reddish and facilitating this deal. But, as Travis Schlenk noted, teams may not want a player. But they will want a draft pick.
If Zion does push to leave, the Pelicans could be looking to move Ingram as they try to retool their group. We seem a long way off from that all going down though.
Pros and Cons of trading for Jaylen Brown
A Georgia native, Jaylen Brown’s fit with the Hawks goes well beyond the wing’s roots. He’s averaging 24.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting 45.4 percent overall and 36.4 percent from three. But even that, which would qualify for the second-best season on the Hawks roster, isn’t his primary appeal.
He’s coming off of torching the Kings for 30 points and 10 boards and also has a 26-point, 15-rebound game to his credit earlier this season.
At 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, Brown offers arguably the best package in that he is a tremendous scorer and defender. The latter should be a priority playing next to Young. He can defend point guards at the point of attack and many power fowards.
Opposing wings would have nightmares before facing him and Hunter on a given night.
This is our cleanest proposal too with a straight-up swap of Brown and Collins. It gives the Hawks another perimeter defender who has found his niche as a scorer. The Celtics get a hyper-athletic compliment to Jayson Tatum and a perimeter threat to balance the floor next to Robert Williams.
There is only one obstacle: Boston.
The Celtics are as adamant about keeping Brown and Tatum together as the Sixers have been with their asking price on Simmons, and with good reason. Their dynamic duo has reached the Eastern Conference Finals three times in the last five years.
That’s an achievement the Hawks would kill for at this point. But Boston wants more and that’s where the questions about how long to keep their current core together.
Would Collins get them to another level than Brown has? The same could be asked of Brown. There is no guarantee that the move elevates the Hawks if it hasn’t worked yet in Boston. There is some thought that Brown and Tatum could both benefit from a point guard which brings us back to Young.
The more likely scenario that has been bandied about is Marcus Smart being the move for a lesser package. Especially with Boston winning four of its last six games and six of its last nine after going 6-9 in all of December.
If the Celtics do revert to their sliding ways, however, the Hawks shouldn’t hesitate to try and capitalize. This is even a deal that could be worth exploring after the season.
Pros and cons of trading for Jerami Grant
This is the latest entrant into the ‘will they or won’t they” of Hawks trade rumors. Reports of the Hawks interest in Jerami Grant of the Detroit Pistons has picked up just as the 76ers plans and Collins’ concerns have come into focus. Grant, an eight-year veteran who is currently in health and safety protocols, he’s reportedly given Pistons brass a list of his preferred teams.
He also reportedly wants to be assured of a primary scoring role wherever he goes.
Averaging 21.6 points over the last two seasons, Grant has struggled with efficiency as the top threat in Detroit.
But he offers many of the same qualities as Collins with his energy and effort on both ends of the floor. Collins is probably a better post defender – not by much – whereas Grant has the edge on the perimeter as someone who can play small forward.
He is averaging 4.8 boards and 2.6 assists, both the second-most of his career, as well as a career-high 1.1 steals this season.
Grant was the first option in our piece on alternatives from when it appeared Collins could leave Atlanta in free agency. At the time, though, the Pistons were standing firm in their stance that he wasn’t available.
What a difference six months makes. That goes for Collins too on the heels of a $125 million contract signed over the summer.
Our take at the time was that another finish near the bottom of the conference would sway Detriot and that appears to be the case. But the same pros and cons to the move exist. The Hawks get added perimeter defense and a player hungry to be the second scorer they can count on for 20-plus points on any given night.
Grant is older and less athletic than Collins while being four years older. The Hawks would be giving up some rebounding too, an area in which Collins has flashed elite ability even if the results haven’t always been there.
He also hasn’t played since mid-December after tearing ligaments in his thumb and is currently in health and safety protocols.
However, his contract is also up after next season; a scenario that could benefit both he and the Hawks at that point.
They would get a player hungry to earn that next contract while he gets to play for a contender.
In the end, trading the longest-tenured Hawks player will always sting a little. Especially when that player cares as much as Collins has shown he does. Grant would be on his fifth team and would have to be considered a flight risk with his contract situation.
Pros and Cons of trading for Christian Wood
The second option from our Collins piece from last June, Christian Wood finds himself in a similar situation to Grant. He’s on a young team with a top draft pick at guard in Jalen Green (Grant has Cade Cunningham) and little in the way to get him the numbers or wins he was seeking when he since being traded from Detroit.
His scoring is down this season at 17.4 points per game and he’s shooting 48.2 percent from the floor and 36.6 percent from downtown.
The efficiency numbers are his worst since his first and third seasons in the NBA, respectively.
He is averaging career-highs with10.2 boards and 2.1, though. And he’s averaged 19.7 points, and 9.8 rebounds while shooting 52.9 percent overall and 44.2 percent from deep since returning from a one-game absence after getting injured on New Year’s Day.
Wood also provides a nice pivot from Towns who is even less likely than before with the Minnesota Timberwolves currently seventh in the West.
That isn’t an issue with the cellar-dwelling Houston Rockets
The complications in this proposal lie in matching value with salary. Collins is certainly a better player than Wood. But is he so much better that it would be worth Houston parting with a talented defender in Nwaba to facilitate the deal? The 29-year-old is a terrific defender and is on a team-friendly contract for next season with a team option for the following year.
Do the Hawks need Nwaba? Probably not but you can never have too many perimeter defenders.
The questions with Wood are in his long-term position – he had his best season with Detriot as a power forward but has been the Rockets center for the last two seasons. That might not be a detriment though depending on what they plan to do with Clint Capela in the offseason.
Together, Wood and Capela would be an intimidating duo for opposing guards to navigate on their way to the rim. Wood would also fit well next to Onyeka Okongwu.
Wood’s ceiling is lower than Collins as a less mobile, less skilled option. But that can sometimes be beneficial too. There are no misconceptions about what Wood is as a player and that can lead to clearer, more-defined roles which lead to a more fluid operation all around. It isn’t apples to apples, but this is kind of what has happened since the Reddish trade.
As we said in the original posting, this would probably be the least disruptive move given what Wood brings to the table skill set-wise.