The Atlanta Hawks don’t need Anthony Davis, and they certainly don’t need Ja Morant – Ivica Zubac is the player the team should aggressively pursue this trade deadline.
The Hawks have a center rotation problem that is ruining their season. On paper, the team makes sense: Kristaps Porzingis is a high-level starter, and Onyeka Okongwu is an elite option off the bench. With length at the four from Jalen Johnson and Mouhamed Gueye, this could be a solid rotation.
When Porzingis is healthy, the big man rotation is indeed competent, and the Hawks have a winning record. Porzingis, however, has played in just 17 of Atlanta’s 39 games, and the team’s record drops to 40.9% without him. Even when he does play, he’s averaging only 24 minutes a night.
Considering time lost on the bench and to injury, Porzingis has played in just 22.1% of Atlanta’s minutes. For context, he’s played ten more minutes than Keaton Wallace, who was essentially out of the rotation with Trae Young sidelined. The Hawks need a center if they plan on winning any games this season, but the free agency market doesn’t have the talent they want.
The Hawks are in a flexible position, as they aren’t ready to compete quite yet. They’ll have a free chance to add a potential star to the team with the 2026 Pelicans’ pick, which would be a guaranteed top-seven pick if the season ended today. Because of this, we’ll assume Atlanta would be willing to trade players who are not explicitly on the market.
CJ McCollum is the new Norm Powell, Hawks get a reunion in mock trade
The Clippers are 12th in the Western Conference at 13-23 after a series of ill-fated offseason transactions. Most critically, the team traded Norm Powell for John Collins, which has had disastrous consequences.
Powell provided the scoring punch the Clippers needed. With Kawhi Leonard’s injury struggles and James Harden’s inconsistency from the field, Los Angeles’s offense can stagnate at times. McCollum is not as good as Powell, who could demand an All-Star spot this season, but he would be a serious upgrade in this role.
The Hawks would have to include at least one first round pick (likely two) to pry Zubac’s team-friendly deal out of LA’s hands. I chose the 2027 swap (less favorable between NOP/MIL) and the Hawks' 2029 first. These are the two picks Atlanta can trade that will convert into players the quickest, excluding the pick the Hawks secured in the Derik Queen trade. Los Angeles will then have the short-term draft capital to start building for the next era of Clippers basketball.
Two firsts is no laughing matter, but Big Z is worth the cost.
Zubac is one of the league's most reliable centers. He's played in over 68 games every season this decade, and is currently one of the best rim protectors and rebounders in the league. Last season, he ended sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, was voted to the All-Defensive second team, and grabbed 12.6 boards a night. He can't space the floor, nor is he a skilled offensive creator, but he thrives in his role. This is the perfect center for Atlanta to pair with Porzingis and Okongwu.
In addition to getting Zubac, the Hawks would reunite with Bogdan Bogdanovic to soften the emotional blow of losing Trae Young. He’s on a one-year contract with a team option for next season and would be at the bottom of a stacked guard rotation. The team could easily move on from him this offseason, remaining flexible enough to be buyers in potential star trades.
Atlanta has its chance to grab its next Clint Capela. Hopefully, they take their opportunity to court Zubac while the league is distracted by Ja Morant.