Atlanta Hawks Viewed As A Top Trade Fit For Portland Trail Blazers Center

Could the Hawks make a deal for Portland center Robert Williams III?

Jackson Caudell | Jan 27, 2025

Jan 8, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons (1) and center Robert Williams III (35) celebrate next to forward Kris Murray (24) during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

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Atlanta Hawks

The NBA trade deadline is quickly approaching and one of the most interesting teams that is not being talked about enough is the Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta is currently 22-23 and on a four-game losing streak, but they have some interesting pieces to potetially make a deal with. Clint Capela and Larry Nance both have expiring contracts and have bee mentioned in trade rumors. Bogdan Bogdanovic's name has come up as well in certain reports.

While the Atlanta Hawks have looked like they might be a potential threat to win a playoff series, they are currently at a bit of a crossroads until they learn more about Jalen Johnson's injury. Johnson injured his left shoulder early in Thursday's loss to Toronto and the Hawks have only given one update on him:

"Forward Jalen Johnson left Thursday night’s game vs. Toronto after sustaining a left shoulder injury during the second quarter. He will be listed as out as he undergoes further medical testing and evaluation. His injury and status will be updated as appropriate."

If Johnson is out for an extended period of time, that is going to seriously hamper Atlanta's ability to win. Will it alter their trade deadline plans? That is an interesting question.

I have maintained that the Hawks will only make a move at the deadline if it helps them beyond this season. I would not expect the Hawks to make a win-now move just for this season, especially now with their injury situation. One player who could fit that mold is Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III. William's injury history is well documented, but when healthy, he is one of the best defensive centers (and overall players) in the NBA. He is on a reasonable contract for the next two seasons and with the Blazers already having Deandre Ayton and Donovan Clingan, they may look to move Williams at this year's deadline. Could the Hawks be a team that is interested? On his NBA Trade Board, The Athletic's Sam Vecenie labeled the Hawks as a team that could be a fit for Williams:

"On a per-minute basis, there won't be another big available at the deadline as impactful as Williams. He's averaging 5.9 points and five rebounds with close to a steal and 1.6 blocks per game in just 16.7 minutes per contest. He's an terrific defender across the board, having made an All-Defense team back in 2022 for the Celtics before injuries wiped out his next two seasons. He is elite in help defense, versatile in ball-screen coverages and communicates. He's also a perfect low-usage offensive big man. He finishes better than 70 percent of his shots at the rim, but he also throws terrific short-roll passes and screens well at the top of actions for guards.

Alas, the injuries are a significant worry. He's never played more than 61 games in a single season. He's only played in 15 of Portland's first 43 games this year, too, as his knees have never consistently held up. Teams will ask whether they can trust him to get to playoff time in a healthy state given his history. However, the price point is right, as when he's on the court, his $12.5 million contract is a steal with only one year remaining at $13.3 million. When I've asked around about what other teams would consider a reasonable price point, I've gotten anything from a late first-rounder to a couple of second-rounders. But with the team having used a draft pick this year on Donovan Clingan and Deandre Ayton seeming like a difficult sell on the trade market, it would make sense for the Blazers to explore Williams' market."

Trade value- Second-rounders

Best fits-Rockets, Hawks, Bulls, Pacers, Lakers, Suns, Cavaliers

It might be a risk, but I agree that Williams would be a fit for the Hawks. He would be a great fit with Trae Young as a low-usage center who would pair well with him on that end of the floor and he also raised the ceiling of the Hawks's defense, which has improved this year with the acquisition of Dyson Daniels. The Hawks have three centers currently, Clint Capela (expiring contract), Larry Nance (expiring contract), and Onyeka Okongwu. Okongwu was recently moved into the starting lineup and is playing well, but what about the depth at the position after this season? Getting Williams as a backup to Okongwu and trying to re-sign Nance (if he is not traded) this offseason could be a great fit for Atlanta. Nance has been a crucial depth piece for Atlanta when either Okongwu or Capela has missed games and could play that same role if the Hawks traded for Williams.

The Hawks have a lot of thinking to do over the next week and a half leading up to the deadline. In the meantime, they are going to have to navigate a tough part of their schedule.

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