The Atlanta Hawks and Jaylen Brown will be forever linked until it actually happens. There's many reasons why bringing him in would benefit the hometown team, but also too many potential downsides they simply cannot ignore. However, one scenario in which they would acquire him might make enough sense to go through with.
Boston and Atlanta are in the same boat of wanting to improve in an Eastern Conference that still feels wide open, even with the Knicks dominating the current landscape. An obvious way the Celtics could improve would be to bring in Giannis Antetokounmpo, but that would come with the near certainty that they'd be sending Brown elsewhere.
Atlanta, as a third team in this specific transaction, could see a golden opportunity present itself.
They wouldn't have to mortgage as much in a three-team deal
Now, of course, they'd still have to part with a decent bit of capital, but they wouldn't be alone in sending assets to Milwaukee. Both Boston and Atlanta would be required to team up in sending salary and picks to the Bucks, as Brown is still not the same caliber of player as Antetokounmpo.
Atlanta would be sending the majority, but the additional several million pitched in by Boston would come as a major boost in facilitating the deal. Dealing Antetokounmpo would signal that Milwaukee is headed towards a full-scale rebuild, likely limiting the need for a win-now contributor from Atlanta.
The real assets are the tradable first-round picks, which are possessed in significant quantity by both Boston and Atlanta. Atlanta would almost certainly have to part with one of their two first-round selections this year, but there's already reasonable doubt they'd want to bring in two rookies in the first place.
If there's a realistic route to acquiring Jaylen Brown for less than his expected value, it would be malpractice for Atlanta to not at least consider it.
The biggest factor in a deal would be Atlanta keeping their core intact
Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels are all far too valuable in their roles to let go of this early into the retool. Of course, Brown is undoubtedly the best, most proven player of the bunch, but his contract and expectations exceed what the Hawks have going for them at the current moment.
It's incredibly difficult to contend without a top-ten player. Whether Brown is or isn't, he would instantly become the true top option Atlanta's been long searching for.
For the right price, they should entertain welcoming him home, and the best way for that to go down would be in a three-team deal with the Bucks.
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