Hawks would be wise to explore rumored trade interest in former top-5 pick

The Atlanta Hawks are as luxury tax-conscious as any organization, so the latest trade rumor to include them should at least tempt them in that regard.

Where it goes from there could be quite complicated, though.

The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Tony Jones reported that the Denver Nuggets are “canvassing” the league before the February 6 trade deadline in search of another piece to what they hope is a championship puzzle. That search includes interest in De’Andre Hunter.

Hunter, 27, is in Year 2 of a four-year, $90 million contract on an extension he signed before the current front office configuration, helmed by general manager Landry Fields, took over in 2022.

Hunter certainly fits the bill of what the Nuggets are seeking.

“The Nuggets are seeking help in the form of someone who is able to create offense with the ball in his hands,” Amick and Jones wrote on December 17. “League sources say the Nuggets would like to add one more player who is able to do that at a high level.

“That’s why Denver has cast a wide net. But the Nuggets’ collective lack of assets as a first-apron team make getting a deal done with some teams more difficult.”

Hunter is having a career year in an unlikely role off the bench.

He is averaging 19.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 44.9% from beyond the arc. His points and three-point efficiency would both be career-high marks if they hold, and he offers an element of defense.

That is important for both sides in any potential deal, since Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is expected to be integral in any significant trade that Denver makes.

Defense would be among the biggest tradeoffs the Hawks make.

Hunter, who has a history of knee issues, has been the more durable of the two for the bulk of their respective careers, though Porter’s career-high 81 appearances in 2023-24 were 14 more than Hunter has ever made.

Porter is also childhood friends with Trae Young, making him a popular trade target for the Hawks in the rumor mill.

Hunter’s offensive progress this season is enough reason to cause a pause in doing a swap.

Proposed Hawks trade swaps Clint Capela, De’Andre Hunter for NBA Champion

The potential additional salary and different injury risks should only add to the trepidation. But, if the Hawks can parlay this into a double dump, shedding Clint Capela’s contract in the process, it might be worthwhile.

This Soaring Down South trade proposal would ship out Capela and Hunter, who have been speculative trade candidates for months (and really, years).

The Hawks could work the deal with other players, but it could not be a 1-for-1 swap.

This swap adds $800,000 to the Hawks’ books, saving the Nuggets the same amount.

Both Hunter and Porter’s respective contracts expire following the 2026-27 season while acquiring young forward Zeke Nnaji would ensure Capela does not leave in free agency, leaving the Hawks empty-handed. 

Nnaji has so far peaked in his sophomore season, seeing his production and role diminish each season.

But the Hawks have proven their developmental chops.

Nnaji could be another versatile prospect whose untapped potential the Hawks can access, with Dyson Daniels making a strong case for them to find a similar project with upside. Daniels was a top-10 pick in 2022 and Marshall No. 22 overall in 2020, so their pedigree is different.

The Hawks could also sub Bogdan Bogdanovic in for either Capela or Hunter, depending on what direction they want to take their roster.

The Nuggets’ interest in Hunter matters too, though.

Dyson Daniels, Quin Snyder, Zaccharie Risacher could be hurdles to trade for Michael Porter Jr.

Daniels’ emergence along with Jalen Johnson’s rising stardom and rookie Zaccharie Risacher holding a starting role complicates how and where Porter would fit. There is no way the Hawks are sitting Daniels with how he has played this season.

And sending Risacher back to a bench role he has not held since the second game of the season could risk hurting the rookie’s confidence.

Then there is what Hawks head coach Quin Snyder had to say about Hunter.

“He's pretty important, obviously, right? Put an exclamation point on that,” Snyder told reporters when asked directly on November 30. “I think it',s as much as anything, the way that he's playing. I don't think he gets enough credit for all the little things that he does, in part, because there are a lot of times they're not as visible. 

“He's always in the right place defensively. He's just a warrior. And when you say that, those are guys that just bring it not just every game, but all game long.

“Coupled with him really, I think, getting out in transition and attacking the rim, he'll end up – you don't always end up at the rim," Snyder said. "But his physicality, if he does get to a midrange, he's open. And he's doing a heck of a job. He's a guy that … I feel lucky to coach.”

Hunter notably has the fourth-highest on-off differential on the team, per Cleaning The Glass.

An AAU reunion between Young and Porter may have to find another way if Snyder’s rumored say in roster decisions is true.