NBA Trade Rumors: New Proposal Sees Atlanta Hawks Land $19M Raptors Center

Would the Hawks trade for Jakob Poeltl before the trade deadline?

Jan 29, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl (19) holds the ball as Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas (17) reaches in the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The NBA Trade deadline is less than one week away and the rumors and speculation are going to be ramping up over the next several days.

The Atlanta Hawks are going to be one of the most interesting teams to watch leading up to next week. Players such as Clint Capela, Cody Zeller, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Larry Nance Jr have been mentioned as trade possibilities, but will the Hawks move any of them? The team announced this week that star forward Jalen Johnson is going to miss the rest of the season and that is something that could potentially alter their plans at the deadline.

Clint Capela has been a player who has been mentioned in trade speculation going back to last summer, mostly due to his expiring $22M contract.

In a new trade proposal from Bleacher Report Analyst Zach Buckley, the Hawks trade Capela and other assets to Toronto for Raptors center Jakob Poeltl:

Atlanta Hawks receive: Jakob Poeltl

Toronto Raptors receive: Clint Capela, Kobe Bufkin, a 2025 second-round pick (via MIN) and a 2027 second-round pick (via LAC)

"While this wouldn't accomplish Atlanta's likely top deadline goal of finding some non-Trae Young playmaking, the club could stand to upgrade over Capela at the center spot.

Adding the rock-solid Poeltl would do the trick. And the trade cost shouldn't be unbearable, with the 29-year-old big man and the rebuilding Raptors not residing on the same timeline.

Poeltl doesn't carry the perimeter enhancements of a new-age center, but he checks off all the necessary boxes on the interior and would be a fun pick-and-roll partner for Young.

The fact that the Austrian isn't a complete zero as a passer should help, too, given how few assists Atlanta generates from someone other than its star lead guard."

I disagree with the assessment that adding Poeltl to Atlanta is an upgrade over Capela, a big enough one to justify sending out a former first round pick in Bufkin and multiple draft picks, even if they are just second rounders. While the Hawks are 0-7 since Onyeka Okongwu took over as the starting center, he has helped the Hawks defense and is showing signs of being a capable starter. Adding Poeltl does not make sense given that. I also would not give up on Bufkin just yet, unless it is for a clear upgrade on the team. I don't view Poeltl as that.

It will be interesting to see what the Hawks do at the deadline. Atlanta is also not going to make a trade just to make a trade. If a trade does not help the Hawks going forward into future seasons, they are not going to do it, even if Nance and Capela are on expiring deals. No realistic move the Hawks could make, even before the reports of Johnson's injury, was going to make the Hawks a championship contender. The only deals the Hawks need to be in the business of making are deals to help them in the future.

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