Less than one month from today will be the NBA Trade Deadline and there is still some uncertainty as to what will go down at the deadline. Star players like Jimmy Butler and Brandon Ingram have been talked about as players who could be dealt with, but it could end up just being smaller moves and rotation players that get moved. The Atlanta Hawks could actually be a team to watch when it comes to that. Last season, the Hawks were one of the most talked about teams leading up to the deadline, but there was a different feeling around that team. Whether or not Atlanta is a buyer or a seller at the deadline, this team has young building blocks to lean on going forward, but they have some roster questions that could get answered at the deadline. Currently, the Hawks are 21-19 and have won two straight games, including a 16-point win over the Bulls Wednesday night. Atlanta is in 7th place in the Eastern Conference, but only 1.5 games from the No. 4 seed.

The names that have been brought up in trade rumors over the past month or so have been centers Larry Nance and Clint Capela, as well as Bogdan Bogdanovic. Both centers are on expiring deals and might not be a part of the team’s future and Atlanta could look to flip one of them for assets. Going into the deadline, the Hawks have to figure out what to do with the two centers they have on expiring contracts and if they want to be buyers. They have two glaring needs at the backup point guard spot and backup power forward spots, but this team is not going to make any moves that are not forward-thinking. The Hawks have been a nice surprise this season, but they are not going to make win-now moves to try and improve their record this year if it is not about the future as well. They have a core of Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Zaccharie Risacher that is going to be the future of the franchise. If they can find a player who fits that timeline, they could pursue them at the deadline.

Could that player be Nets center Nic Claxton?

While the backup point guard and power forward spots might be the most noticeable spots for the Hawks, they still have a question mark going forward at center. Capela and Nance are on expiring deals and while Onyeka Okongwu flashes, he has not done enough during his time in Atlanta to firmly take hold of the starting center spot for the future. If the right player became available, would the Hawks take a chance.

I think that player could be Claxton and I think he would be a great fit on Atlanta. He is young (25 years old), excellent defensively, and should pair well with Trae Young on offense. He received a contract extension from Brooklyn and he would be locked in with Young, Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, and Zaccharie Risacher as the building blocks for the Hawks future.

Let’s look at a hypothetical three-team deal that would send Claxton to Atlanta.

Atlanta Receives: Nic Claxton and Trendon Watford

Brooklyn Receives: Khris MIddleton, Clint Capela, AJ Johnson, Tyler Smith, 2030 2nd round pick (via Atlanta), 2031 1st round pick (via Milwaukee), 2031 top-eight protected 1st round pick (via Atlanta), and a 2031 2nd round pick (via Milwaukee)

Milwaukee Receives: Cam Johnson, Ziaire Williams, Cody Zeller, and David Roddy

Why the Hawks do this trade: For the reasons outlined above. They get younger and better at the center position, locking in a starting core for the future. Claxton is eligible to be traded now and while it is possible Brooklyn holds onto him, they are in complete rebuilding mode and could move him. He would give the Hawks a young and elite defensive anchor when he is healthy and a great rim-running partner with Trae Young. Watford would give the Hawks a possible backup power forward option for the rest of the season (when healthy) and if the Hawks like his fit, they could re-sign him in the offseason. This move would not cost the Hawks a lot of assets. Capela is still a good player, but an expiring deal, and Claxton would be an upgrade. Roddy and Zeller are both players who could be moved. The Hawks would still have picks for any future moves or to use to draft players. This move would be forward-thinking and fits with the Hawks’s timeline of the young players on the roster. This move would also keep the Hawks under the luxury tax.

Why the Hawks don’t do this: If they don’t view Claxton as a significant enough upgrade over their current center situation and they don’t want to use any assets to obtain him. The initial Dejounte Murray trade in 2022 took some of the Hawks’ assets away and while they recouped some of that this past summer when they sent him to New Orleans, they don’t have an overabundance of picks like other teams such as OKC or Orlando. Atlanta may just want to sit tight and do nothing for now.

Why the Bucks do this trade: It gets them younger and better. Johnson would be a significant upgrade over Middleton at this stage in their careers and would improve Milwaukee’s chances of making a run to the Finals, which is all that matters to them as long as they have Giannis. Johnson is shooting well and would benefit from having Giannis and Damian Lillard around him. Williams, Roddy, and Zeller would be depth pieces for the team, although Zeller has not played for Atlanta this year and Roddy struggles on defense. It would be an all-in move for the Bucks and maybe the last one they have left. They could move Taurean Prince to the bench in this scenario and that would improve their depth.

Why the Bucks don’t do this: Maybe Milwaukee does not want to send any more draft assets out or they don’t view Johnson as the player to do it for. Aside from him, none of the other three players is likely to help you in the playoffs.

Why the Nets do this trade: It would give them more assets for the rebuild that is going on and improves their lottery odds. It is no secret that Brooklyn is trying to tank for this draft and next year as well since getting their own draft picks back this summer and there have been plenty of rumors of them moving Johnson this season. They would get two future draft picks and a pair of young players in Johnson and Smith that they could get a look at. Capela is an expiring deal and Middleton only has one year left on his contract after this one. They could try to flip Middleton this summer or next season to a contender that is looking for a veteran player who will be on an expiring deal.

Why the Nets don’t do this trade: Is this enough for them to move off of Johnson and Claxton? Getting an unprotected future pick from Milwaukee is a good asset considering that the Bucks title window is shrinking and that Johnson does not fit in with the Nets future plans. Claxton, however, is 25 years old and could be a part of the Nets future still. Johnson and Smith are intriguing, but there is no guarantee that they would even be decent rotation players. Given MIddleton’s injury history and age, he might not be able to be flipped for much in terms of assets.

This trade might be unlikely, but it makes some sense for all teams involved. The Hawks get younger at center, not to mention Claxton should improve them defensively. Milwaukee gets a younger piece for them to make a run in the East, while the Nets add more assets for the future and improve their tanking odds for this year.

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