Despite the loud offseason, the Atlanta Hawks are still a piece away from championship contention. Kristaps Porzingis isn’t the All-Star he once was, and the star power of Trae Young and Jalen Johnson is not enough to compete in the postseason against the titans of the West (or even the Cavs and Knicks).
The Hawks have been gifted the perfect opportunity to pursue a third star, however, thanks to Nico Harrison’s firing. Harrison, former GM of the Dallas Mavericks, infamously traded Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis and a meager collection of assets. His departure, paired with the dismal start the Mavs have had, mean AD’s days in Dallas are numbered.
Would a Davis trade make sense for the Hawks?
Atlanta could easily make a trade for Davis work. The base trade would be Kristaps Porzingis + at least $12.2 million in salary for Davis. Using this framework, the most appealing trade would be:
Note that Dante cannot be traded until 11/18 after recently signing a deal with Atlanta.
Why this makes sense for the Hawks: AD is the perfect Trae Young compliment. He is an elite and versatile defender who is one of the all-time great lob finishers. Atlanta has also struggled mightily in interior defense and rebounding, two problems Davis could solve immediately.
While his contract is quite expensive, it ends when Zaccharie Risacher gets his big payday in the 2028 offseason. This would allow the Hawks to compete during the Trae Young timeline without sacrificing the Johnson-Risacher-Dyson Daniels timeline. Atlanta would be hard-capped, but an eight-man rotation of Young, Daniels, Risacher, Johnson, Davis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Onyeka Okongwu, and Mouhamed Gueye would be one of the best in the East.
The Hawks would be giving up two picks and a swap. This year's swap with the Spurs will almost certainly be a late first round pick, however, and the 2028 pick should be as well if the team pans out.
Why this makes sense for the Mavs: Dallas could escape the financial consequences of this trade by next year. Porzingis and Kennard are on expiring contracts, and Dante’s deal is entirely non-guaranteed moving forward. There is essentially no risk involved for the Mavs here, unlike most other potential AD trades. Atlanta will almost certainly be a playoff team in 2028, but the 2030 pick could be an attractive asset.
For this season, the shooting from Porzingis and Kennard would be quite useful for first overall pick Cooper Flagg’s development, even if their defense and rebounding limitations cap their overall effectiveness.
The kicker: The Hawks would be the worst three point shooting team of the title contenders. Johnson, Daniels, Okongwu, and Davis shoot below league-average from three, and Young himself has struggled from deep in recent years compared to his high standards.
If this team were to work, it would have to follow the path forged by the 2001 76ers: one offensive star surrounded by truly elite defense. The Thunder are perhaps the closest modern contender to the old Philly model, albeit with a supercharged version.
Worst-case scenario: Like the Porzingis trade, Davis isn’t enough to make the Hawks real contenders. They trade Young at the deadline and rebuild around the Johnson-Daniels-Risacher-2026 NOP pick core.
This would be underwhelming, but no long-term harm would be caused. Davis could probably be flipped for positive-to-neutral value in the future anyway to a team that’s an Anthony Davis away from a championship.
Best-case scenario: Playoff glory Atlanta has never seen. Daniels and Davis have both been DPOY nominees, while NAW and Gueye are All-Defense team caliber players. We haven’t even considered Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson (who should be better than he currently is on D). Even factoring in Young’s weakness in this department, the team would be one of the best defenses in the 21st century if healthy. With any semblance of a good offense, the Hawks would be contenders.
The verdict: I’m pulling the trigger if I’m the Hawks. The only reason I would not take this deal is if the Mavs insist that the 2026 New Orleans pick is included, or if the Hawks believe they need to trade Young (which I don’t think they do).
This isn’t because it is a lopsided trade – in fact, the Mavericks probably have the safer trade. This is because Atlanta has the perfect combination of matching salary to acquire Davis without sacrificing any of their key rotation pieces.
Is the fit perfect? No. Is he much more durable than Porzingis? No. Despite this, AD would launch the Hawks into a tier of true championship contenders, and the Hawks would be risking nothing but a couple years of cap space. If the Hawks are serious about making a push now, they must at least call Dallas's line.