8 star trade targets the Atlanta Hawks must look into this offseason

4) Mikal Bridges - Brooklyn Nets

The sheen has come off Mikal Bridges in the last year. After exploding in his new role as the featured scorer to the Nets after the trade deadline in 2022-23, Bridges’ numbers took a step back this season.

Part of that was due to Cam Thomas getting a larger role.

However, Bridges is no longer viewed as the potential central star he was thought to be during the hot start to his Nets tenure. Now could be the time to send an offer.

The Hawks could go for a smaller deal, sending Murray in a deal that brings back veteran pieces like Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schroder. Or they can go big and try to offer the Nets a true star in Young while building around Murray.

We’ve explored the latter option before, so the alternative is the choice here with the Nets getting Young who is well-known in New York.

The Hawks would get perfectly complementary pieces for what they would have left.

Bridges is going into Year 3 of a four-year, $90.9 million contract and will count $23.3 million toward the cap next season. His friend, Johnson, would cost 22.5 million in Year 2 of a four-year, $94.5 million deal.

It would likely take some convincing (i.e. draft capital) to pry the duo away. Offering Young could be the only way to get Nets general manager Sean Marks’ attention to start.