Champion floated as 'ambitious' target for Hawks in potentially costly trade

If the Atlanta Hawks are truly still a work in progress as general manager Landry Fields said on media day, then a splash move to improve the roster cannot be out of the question. 

It may even be necessary following their loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in their second preseason game. Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey notes the Hawks “streamlined” their roster around Trae Young. However, their current group leaves much to be desired offensively.

Bailey suggests the Hawks trade for Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr.

“The front office has already started assembling a supporting cast filled with length and (potentially) three-point shooting around him, too. There are several switchable forwards and wings, including 2024's No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson and De'Andre Hunter,” Bailey wrote on October 15. 

“But the floor spacing from that trio ranges from unproven to theoretical, while Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. has long been one of the league's most effective shooters.”

Porter averaged 16.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 2023-24. He shot 48.4% from the floor and 39.7% from beyond the arc, both the second-lowest marks of his career. However, encouragingly, Porter appeared in a career-high 81 games.

Young’ Porter’s AAU teammate, spoke about the toll injuries have taken on his career arc.

“I was at the practice that he hurt his back,” Young told the panel on the “Podcast P with Paul George” podcast in August. “I was with him a week ago. We still talk about that; the difference in his game. … He would have been another PG. He’s so offensively skilled and he's just so smooth with his game. And defensively, he's tall. He's long, so he's going to be a good defender if you just put in effort.

“He was a really good defender in high school. But he could have been even a better defender at this level if his back wasn't so stiff. And he having screws and things messed up in his back. So I feel like it's just unfortunate. He would have been a really, really high level player. But thankfully he still made a good career so far.”

Porter was a key to the Nuggets’ championship run in 2022-23. He is in Year 3 of a five-year, $179.3 million contract.

Expensive with an extensive injury history would be a lofty bet for this version of the Hawks.

Proposed trade aims to land Michael Porter Jr. from Nuggets

Bailey notes that Porter’s shooting splits put him in the company of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. He also offers a trade proposal outline to get Porter to Atlanta, but the deal would not come cheaply and that is not just because of his salary.

“Atlanta may have an intriguing trade package to go get him. Denver would likely have to send out another small contract and would likely insist on getting some draft capital back, but the Hawks could improve the Nuggets' depth with Nikola Jokić's countryman Bogdan Bogdanović and a reserve forward in Hunter,” Bailey wrote.

“Moving forward with a starting five of Young, Risacher, Porter, Johnson and Clint Capela (or Onyeka Okongwu) would raise Atlanta's ceiling.”

This Soaring Down South trade proposal aims to fill in the gaps from Bailey’s ideal for Porter.

Bogdanovic is coming off a strong summer with Serbia in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.

In Year 2 of a four-year, $68 million pact, he projects to be a key piece of the Hawks’ rotation, likely coming off the bench but finishing games. He is also the best shooter on the team and, arguably, the second-best ball-handler.

Losing him would be a blow, though joining Jokic with a chance to win a title might soften the blow for Bogdanovic.

Hunter’s future is far less certain.

Hunter is in Year 2 of a four-year, $90 million contract. He struggled in the Hawks’ preseason opener and was pulled early from Game 2. The explanation was simply the coaching staff shutting down Hunter, who also has endured injury woes, particularly with his knee.

Risacher already looks primed to supplant Hunter in the starting lineup. But the former could also start ahead of fellow newcomer Dyson Daniels.

Daniels has started both preseason games but needs to shoot the three better.

Adding Porter would help with what figures to be an offense that once again relies heavily on the deep ball. But the Hawks would only be trading their own injury concerns for the Nuggets’ if they acquired Porter.

After the Nuggets include the requisite filler deals, the Hawks could also take on more money for this season.

The example above brings a couple of intriguing prospects in Peyton Watson and Jalen Pickett.

Watson, the No. 30 overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, is a 6-foot-8 wing that saw nearly 20 minutes per game in 2023-24 but saw his role reduced in the postseason. Pickett, No. 32 in 2023, is a 6-foot-4 guard who saw a minor role as a rookie.

Subbing a player like Hunter Tyson for Pickett – the lowest-cost combination, per Spotrac’s trade machine – would still add $1.2 million to the Hawks’ books.