Proposed trade sends Mikal Bridges and other assets to Atlanta for No. 1 pick and Clint Capela

The Atlanta Hawks stunned the basketball world on Sunday by winning the 2024 NBA Draft lottery. The Hawks came in with just a 3% chance of winning the lottery, but they came out on top and that makes it a already interesting offseason even more interesting.

Because this draft doesn’t have a clear No. 1 prospect, there has been speculation that Atlanta could trade the No. 1 pick. Whether it’s a trade in this draft or a trade for a veteran player, it’s possible Atlanta moves the pick, although it’s not in Hawks general manager Landry’s mind Fields at the moment:

“Not even our focus right now. For example…this is a time where the opportunity in front of us is great and it puts us in position. Positioning is key in this industry and that’s the position we have now, the No. 1 position. We’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing, come together as a group and we’ll figure this out in time.

If they were willing to trade the No. 1 pick, what could a potential trade look like? Dan Favale of Bleacher Report had an interesting proposition involving the Brooklyn Nets:

The exchange

Atlanta Hawks receive: Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith, Phoenix’s 2027 first-round pick, Memphis’ 2028 second-round pick

Brooklyn Nets receive: Clint Capela, No. 1 pick

Why the Hawks are doing it

“This package propels Atlanta out of the sub-midfield and into the meat and potatoes of the Eastern Conference, while rebuilding its asset pool.

Bridges will remain one of the best bargains in the league over the next couple of years and will infuse the rotation with excellent off-ball movement, secondary creation and defense that should climb back toward All-NBA level once he will no longer be the No. 1 offensive option. . Finney-Smith would add yet another non-ball-demanding combo forward to Atlanta’s ranks. Between him, Bridges, De’Andre Hunter, Onyeka Okongwu, Jalen Johnson and Murray (barring a trade), the Hawks could offer hyper-versatile combinations.

Losing Capela would leave Atlanta without a real big, but that’s okay. Rim rebounders can be tackled more easily than wing depth, and Okongwu, while not traditionally tall, is more than capable of mopping up extra minutes as a primary big.

Frankly, a core of Bridges, Murray, Johnson, Okongwu, DFS, Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanović and Trae Young kicks ass. The Hawks might intend to get cheaper or split their backcourt this offseason, but this return would give them the opportunity for pure addition rather than subtraction or recalibration. This 2027 Phoenix pick also has the potential to be juicy, both as an actual selection or as a trade asset.

Why the Nets are doing it

General manager Sean Marks doesn’t look like someone who is ready to lead the Nets through another rebuild. This makes (a little) sense. Brooklyn won’t control its own first round until 2028, making the reorientation galaxies up and down from ideal.

Maybe landing the No. 1 pick would be enough to change the tone of the organization. Marks and Co. would need to believe that Alex Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher, Nikola Topić or Reed Sheppard are a certifiable cornerstone, but that’s the caveat to any high-end draft pursuit.

This year’s rookie class makes that decision more difficult. However, it is not impossible. Bridges won’t benefit from a contract that’s way below market forever. In fact, Brooklyn is a year away from struggling with his pre-agency (unless he signs an extension).

Landing a cost-controlled No. 1 pick for him, an expiring contract and a maybe-great, maybe-undefinable future Suns first-rounder is a reasonable gamble for a team that doesn’t have a clear path forward. to escape mediocrity. as currently constructed.

Capela’s inclusion here would largely be an afterthought, especially if Brooklyn selects Sarr. It is very good. He is entering the final year of his contract and could be re-routed or serve as insurance against Nic Claxton leaving town during his free agency period. »

I think this would be a fascinating trade for the Hawks, but I’m not sure the Nets would do it. They haven’t been willing to trade Bridges thus far and, while the No. 1 pick is attractive, there isn’t a clear top prospect in this draft. I still think the Hawks will want to trade Murray in this scenario and see what kind of assets they could get back for him.

While I think Alex Sarr would be a great fit for the Hawks, that kind of return would signal to Young that they are all about winning and I think this is a team that could compete in the Eastern Conference.

I’m skeptical that Brooklyn wants to do this, though, unless they just fall in love with a prospect at the top of the draft. Trading Bridges and Finney-Smith would indicate to them that they are going further in the rebuild, but they don’t have their own choices. Trading these two players would obviously make them worse off, but they could do it if they really like a top prospect and aren’t willing to give Bridges a lucrative contract extension.

This is a possible trade offer that would attract Atlanta, but I don’t think Brooklyn would be willing to make this deal.

This is going to be a crazy offseason in the NBA and the Atlanta Hawks are going to be at the center of it.