The Atlanta Hawks are one of the teams reportedly interested in trading for Jaylen Brown, should the Milwaukee Bucks send Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Boston Celtics. However, if the Hawks did trade for Brown, it could mean danger for Jalen Johnson. Specifically, danger regarding the team’s floor-spacing around Johnson and Brown.
Brown can shoot, but he’s not elite from beyond the three-point arc. Johnson can, too, but he’s even more of a liability from deep range. That means, should the Hawks decide to roll out a Brown-Johnson duo to lead them forward, they would need to put some significant floor-spacing next to them.
That’s a tall task. And it’s dangerous for the success of Johnson (and Brown, if the Hawks add him).
Jaylen Brown trade could hurt Hawks' spacing for Jalen Johnson
Atlanta was a good three-point shooting team last year. Nickeil Alexander-Walker shot the ball well. Onyeka Okongwu showed some promise from deep.
Those two guys would presumably be in the Hawks’ starting lineup alongside Brown and Johnson, which would be a good thing. But Atlanta would need to round out the rest of the roster, too.
CJ McCollum is a free agent. He was a huge perimeter creator for the Hawks, especially in the playoffs. Jonathan Kuminga is a solid player, but not a great shooter. Dyson Daniels is a non-shooter at times.
Daniels may be one of the guys Atlanta has to trade for Brown, though. And if the Hawks throw in guys like Corey Kispert or Zaccharie Risacher, they would have to replace some of their wing depth.
And when/if they do replenish that wing depth in the wake of a trade for Brown, the Hawks would have to put a significant emphasis on three-point talent to help keep the floor spaced.
Johnson is at his best when he can drive to the hoop and kick out. In order to do that, he needs spacers to keep the lane unclogged and a shooter to make the shots when he does get the chance to kick out.
And since Brown is primarily an on-ball player, he’ll need the same. Space to drive, and shooters to knock down shots. If the Hawks gut their wing depth in order to land Brown, it would be bad for Johnson, because he needs shooters.
So, Atlanta would just have to make sure that it adds plenty of three-point shooters in a post-Brown trade world. For Johnson’s sake, and for Brown’s sake, too.
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