Atlanta, GA
New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Nic Claxton To Atlanta, Cam Johnson to Milwaukee
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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Atlanta Hawks (46-36, sixth in the Eastern Conference) vs. New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference)
New York; Monday, 8 p.m. EDT
LINE: Knicks -5.5; over/under is 216.5
EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Knicks lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks host the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference first round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Knicks won the last matchup 113-102 on Saturday, led by 28 points from Jalen Brunson. CJ McCollum led the Hawks with 26.
The Knicks are 35-17 in Eastern Conference games. New York has a 9-4 record in one-possession games.
The Hawks are 27-25 in Eastern Conference play. Atlanta is third in the league scoring 18.1 fast break points per game. McCollum leads the Hawks averaging 5.0.
The Knicks are shooting 47.8% from the field this season, 0.4 percentage points higher than the 47.4% the Hawks allow to opponents. The Hawks are shooting 47.4% from the field, 1.4% higher than the 46.0% the Knicks’ opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds for the Knicks. Brunson is averaging 19.9 points over the last 10 games.
Dyson Daniels is scoring 11.9 points per game and averaging 6.8 rebounds for the Hawks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 21.3 points and 2.9 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Knicks: 6-4, averaging 110.4 points, 40.7 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 8.4 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.9 points per game.
Hawks: 5-5, averaging 117.2 points, 43.5 rebounds, 27.7 assists, 8.4 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.0 points.
INJURIES: Knicks: Tyler Kolek: day to day (oblique), Mitchell Robinson: day to day (ankle), Karl-Anthony Towns: day to day (elbow).
Hawks: Jock Landale: out (ankle).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks prediction, pick for Game 1 of 2026 NBA Playoffs first round
Sean Barnard details his preview and prediction for Saturday’s Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks matchup in the NBA Playoffs.
The NBA playoffs are officially underway with a loaded opening round. Taking place in the No. 3 vs. No. 6 matchup in the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks will take on the New York Knicks.
You can check out the full series preview on DraftKings Network here.
Looking at the odds for the series opener, the Knicks enter as 6.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Hawks are +205 underdogs with the game total set at O/U 218.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Eastern Conference series opener.
Hawks vs. Knicks prediction, preview
The Atlanta Hawks went through a midseason transition, moving on from Trae Young after he headlined the production for the franchise for the past eight years. The Hawks have not missed a beat amid the major midseason shakeup, finishing as the sixth seed in the conference with a 46-36 overall record. On the season, Atlanta has gone 44-38 against the spread, and the game total has gone 41-41 to the over/under.
Jock Landale is the only player set to miss the matchup tonight. Jalen Johnson headlines the production, posting averages of 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has had a breakout season in a new location, adding 20.8 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game. CJ McCollum adds 18.7 points and 4.1 assists across his first 41 games with the organization, while Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, Jonathan Kuminga, and Zaccharie Risacher also play notable roles.
Quin Snyder’s group scores 118.5 points per game, which ranks sixth in the NBA. The Hawks also rank 14th in offensive rating, 13th in field goal percentage, and fifth in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 116.0 points per game against Atlanta, which ranks 18th in the league. They also rank ninth in defensive rating, 18th in opponent field goal percentage, and 12th in opponent three-point percentage.
The New York Knicks entered the season with legitimate title aspirations. They have had some notable ups and downs, but now face this opportunity. New York finished the regular season with a 53-29 record and sit in third place in the East. The Knicks have gone 44-39 against the spread, and the game total has gone 38-45 to the over/under.
The Knicks enter this matchup with a clear injury report and a large sample size of the team playing together. Jalen Brunson headlines the production with 26.0 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.3 rebounds, while Karl-Anthony Towns pitches in 20.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists of his own. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges are responsible for the production at the wing positions, while Josh Hart sets the tone for this team from a hustle standpoint. New York also did an impressive job building out the bench unit this season, with players like Jordan Clarkson, Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, and Tyler Kolek capable of serving as X-factors off the bench.
As a team, the Knicks are scoring 116.5 points per game, which ranks 10th in the NBA. New York also ranks third in offense rating, 11th in field goal percentage, and fourth in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 110.1 points per game against the Knicks, which ranks fifth in the league. They also rank seventh in defensive rating, fifth in opponent field goal percentage, and 20th in opponent three-point percentage.
Hawks vs. Knicks pick, best bet
These are two teams at different stages of their timeline, but neither will be afraid of this playoff spotlight. The Knicks pushed their chips in around this core and are hoping to be rewarded for it. They fell to the Indiana Pacers in the Conference Finals last year and have made the postseason in four consecutive seasons. Atlanta missed out on the playoffs in back-to-back years and turned a new page direction with Jalen Johnson now leading the charge. Without Trae Young, the Hawks now lean on more of a defensive-minded identity and have a roster loaded with athleticism.
During the regular season, these teams faced off three times. They split the first two matchups, which took place on December 27th and January 2nd. New York picked up a narrow 108-105 victory in the most recent game, which took place on April 6th. Both sides were aware that this was a potential postseason matchup, and this game had some major seeding implications. It was an evenly matched game in which neither team was able to extend a lead beyond 10 points, and the rebounding battle was separated by just one board. The biggest discrepancy came with the Knicks shooting 50% compared to the Hawks shooting 40%, and New York outscoring Atlanta 52-34 in the paint.
While there are higher expectations for this Knicks team in the postseason outlook, the Hawks stack up fairly well in this matchup. Jalen Brunson will be at the heart of the offensive attack for New York. But his biggest weakness is when he is guarded by high-level athletes with a size advantage over him. The Hawks have built out a roster loaded with this archetype of player, and there is not a clear matchup for Brunson to hunt in most lineup combinations.
Brunson has enough experience and savvy to will settle in over the course of the series. But expect some growing pains in the early parts of this matchup, and for this to be a huge hurdle for this Knicks team. I am backing the Hawks to cover the 5.5-point spread and would not be shocked if they steal the opening game. This is a series in which neither side should be expected to pull away by major margins throughout. Count on Atlanta to have defense success and have a clear gameplan for limiting the impact of Brunson. Expect this matchup to come down to the wire and take the points in the series opener.
Best Bet: Hawks +6.5 (-112)
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