The Atlanta Hawks have boasted an elite offense for years, but their defense never seems to keep up with their ability to score. Since Trae Young was drafted, the Hawks have never boasted a top-15 defensive rating in the NBA.
Atlanta has owned a bottom-five defense in four of Young’s seven seasons. In the 2024-25 campaign, the Hawks improved to No. 18 in leaguewide defensive efficiency with a 114.8 mark. The addition of Dyson Daniels to Atlanta’s backcourt made a tangible difference, but the Great Barrier Thief’s presence alone wasn’t enough to transform the Hawks into one of the league’s premier defenses.
The Hawks have been linked to several trade rumors heading into the offseason. As one of the few teams below the CBA’s first tax apron, Atlanta can easily facilitate multi-team trades to gain more draft capital and fill some necessary holes in their roster around Young, Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and the rest of the core.
Sports Illustrated’s Jackson Caudell recently proposed a three-team trade between the Hawks, the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Dallas Mavericks.
Hawks trade pitch brings Robert Williams III to Atlanta
Robert Williams III is one of the most underrated defensive talents in the NBA. When healthy, the 6-foot-9 high-flyer protects the paint as well as anyone. From 2021 to 2023, Time Lord served as the primary anchor for some elite Boston Celtics defenses. He can also guard in space, often checking players at multiple positions while still providing his greatest impact as a paint roamer.
This past season, Williams owned a 107.3 defensive rating across his 20 appearances for a Trail Blazers team that owned a 113.7 rating. When Williams was on the court, the Blazers allowed 3.3 fewer points per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass.
Caudell discussed the potential upside of adding Williams to the mix in Atlanta.
“They improve their defense, get two players on good contracts, and stay under the luxury tax,” Caudell wrote. “Williams is an injury risk of course, but he could be gotten at a very low price and when healthy, he is one of the most impactful defenders in the NBA."
Portland was clearly better with Williams on the floor. However, the injury-prone big man had a hard time staying healthy. Major knee injuries have limited the 27-year-old paint beast to just 26 games in two seasons with the Blazers.
After undergoing knee surgery in March, Williams is thankfully expected to begin next season with a clean bill of health. If the Hawks were to acquire him, they would need to monitor his playing time. With JJ and Onyeka Okongwu absorbing many of Atlanta’s frontcourt minutes and usage, this may not be a problem.
Matisse Thybulle would give the Hawks a fantastic perimeter defender
While Williams would certainly headline the mock trade, Matisse Thybulle is another wildly underrated defender. Despite starting in just 124 of his 347 career contests with 20.9 minutes per game, Thybulle has earned nicknames like ‘The Disruptor’ and ‘Mathief’ for his suffocating perimeter defense and insane ability to rack up steals.
Thybulle ranks No. 8 among active players in steals per game despite playing the least amount of minutes in the top 25. He has averaged 1.6 steals across his six-year career, and he posted 2.2 steals per contest in just 20.8 minutes a night for the Blazers last season.
Per 36 minutes, Thybulle averaged 3.8 steals for Portland and has averaged 2.7 for his career. The Disruptor has never averaged less than 2.5 steals per 36 minutes for a season, and the Hawks could use another ball hawk to pair with Daniels in the backcourt when Ice Trae leaves the floor.
Caudell speculated on Thybulle's potential impact as a defensive needle-mover for the Hawks.
"Thybulle is a terrific point-of-attack defender and can pair with Trae Young when Dyson Daniels leaves the court," Caudell wrote. "The Hawks have to be better on defense to be a real threat in the Eastern Conference and this could do just that and leave them with more moves to make."
Like Williams, Thybulle has dealt with injury woes during his time in Portland. He only played 15 contests this past season, but he has cracked 65 games in every other season of his career. Assuming he returns to normal health, the French wing could serve as a game-changer for a Hawks defense that is just a piece or two away from a significant jump.
If the Hawks want to prioritize defensive improvement this offseason, they may want to consider calling Portland about Williams and Thybulle.