The Atlanta Hawks just pulled off one of their best and most complete wins of the year. They took down the New York Knicks in the NBA Cup Quarterfinals with a convincing 108-100 win largely fueled by their defense and interior scoring. Their perimeter defense played a major role in slowing down Jalen Brunson (14 points on 5-15 shooting) and keeping Karl-Anthony Towns quiet from three-point range (2-6 from deep). Per Cleaning the Glass, the Hawks are currently 14th in the NBA in opponent points per possession and 6th in turnover percentage forced.

While this upwards trajectory is good to see, Atlanta should think about building upon it even more. There are multiple pieces available for trade that could upgrade the Hawks’ defense without cripping their limited pool of assets. Although a player like Herb Jones may prove to be too expensive for Atlanta to acquire, could the Hawks turn to the Brooklyn Nets for a solution?

The Nets have three obvious trade candidates on their roster in Cameron Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith (DFS) and Dennis Schroder. While the Hawks may not be able to land Johnson due to his excellent two-way abilities (18.8 points on a true shooting percentage of 65.9 to go with standout defense), Finney-Smith might be a more realistic acquistion for Atlanta. That isn’t to say Johnson cannot be moved in the same deal. A three-team deal where the Nets send Johnson to a team desperately in need of his services could also result in the Hawks adding DFS to their rotation.

One logical destination for Johnson is the Warriors. While he fits on practically any team, the Warriors are sorely in need of more offensive creation and two-way ability around Steph Curry. They are 14th in three-point shooting and currently struggle to generate offense when Curry is not carrying the load. Those issues became particularly evident down the stretch of their recent loss in the NBA Cup Quarterfinals to the Houston Rockets. Their 91-90 loss was marked by a turnover-filled stretch in the fourth quarter that essentially eliminated all hopes of a comeback.

How would a three-team deal between these teams look?

It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks should do or will do. That is all.

Here is what a possible framework could look like:

Atlanta Hawks get: Dorian Finney-Smith

Brooklyn Nets get: Larry Nance Jr, Gary Payton II, Kyle Anderson, Jonathan Kuminga, 2025 1st round pick (via GSW), 2025 1st round pick (via Sacramento, from Atlanta, top-12 protected) and 2027 1st round pick (via GSW, top-5 protected)

Golden State Warriors get: Cameron Johnson, David Roddy

Why the Hawks would do this trade: DFS’s abilities as a 3&D wing who can provide spacing would fit very well into Atlanta’s rotation. He is shooting 43.2% on 5.5 attempts from deep and has the size/agility to guard wings on the perimeter. While he has slowed down on defense, he can still contribute to the Hawks’ solid defensive infrastructure. He would also be a good fill-in for a Jalen Johnson injury and the 2025 1st round pick from Sacramento likely won’t convey to Atlanta.

Why the Hawks would not do this trade: DFS’s health has to be questioned. He’s relatively durable, but he still missed 14 games last season. At 31 years of age, it’d be reasonable to expect 14-20 missed games for this year as well. Furthermore, his percentage from deep should regress to somewhere closer to the 35.8% he has for his career. That regression could severely compromise his effectiveness in Atlanta. His skillset is also somewhat redundant with DeAndre Hunter, but I would argue that you can never have enough skilled wings in the modern NBA.

Why the Nets would do this trade: Three first-round picks and Jonathan Kuminga for Johnson and Finney-Smith is a pretty good return for two players that are not part of Brooklyn’s long-term future. This deal would also put them in prime position to snag practically any 2025 NBA Draft prospect they are interested in. Considering the depth of the class, this move could accelerate Brooklyn’s rebuild significantly. They also get a veteran presence to build up their culture and improve the overall cohesion of their lineups in Larry Nance Jr. Nance’s ability as a shooter also gives the Nets a different look at center when Nic Claxton is on the bench.

Why the Nets would not do this trade: The Sacramento pick likely will not convey to Brooklyn, so the return for Brooklyn is more realistically two first-round picks and some second rounders. Nance likely will not be part of the roster’s long-term future and it’s possible that a more desparate team would give them more pick equity for Finney-Smith.

Why the Warriors would do this trade: Johnson is a volume shooter who can make quick decisions with the ball and holds up on defense. In short, he’s a perfect fit for the Warriors system and he would improve their spacing significantly. He has showed growth as a primary offensive option for Brooklyn, so there should be limited concern about how he would handle a big offensive role for the Warriors. Roddy has not made a huge impact in his time with Atlanta, but his size (6’4, 256 lbs) make him an intriguing option at power forward if the Warriors can improve his shooting.

Why the Warriors would not do this trade: Golden State might be concerned over giving up significant draft capital to add a player who is below All-Star level. While Johnson is an excellent fit for their system, he is 28 and likely cannot elevate his game beyond elite role player status. The Warriors might want to spend those picks on a player who can deliver a more significant impact as a scorer.