New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends De'Aaron Fox Down South to Spurs, Hawks Add Familiar Bench Shooter

Could the Hawks take advantage of a De'Aaron Fox trade to supplement their roster at the trade deadline?

Nov 18, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (5) controls the ball against Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (13) during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Although the NBA trade deadline isn't usually a spot for trades involving star/superstar players to get done, there are always exceptions. Look no further than the Nets big three of James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant all getting out of Brooklyn by way of the trade deadline. Therefore, the recent rumors that have cropped up regarding De'Aaron Fox are especially interesting.

According to NBA insider Sam Amick of the Athletic, Fox's future in Sacramento is far from secure. Amick had this to say:

"League sources say Paul [Fox's agent Rich Paul] was in Sacramento to meet with general manager Monte McNair and assistant general manager Wes Wilcox before the game. The discussion, league and team sources said, was focused on an existential question that needs to be answered if this partnership that began eight seasons ago between Fox and the Kings is going to continue long term: what's the plan here?"

However, the really interesting part of the article comes later in Amick's discussion of teams that could be interested in the All-Star guard's services.

"Meanwhile, rival executives are monitoring the Fox situation closely and league sources say one team in particular — the San Antonio Spurs — is positioning itself to pursue the Houston native as a possible partner for Victor Wembanyama, should Fox become available."

If the Spurs do decide to push some of their trade chips in, how could the Hawks benefit from such a move in a three-team deal? They need to add more shooting to their roster and this could be an excellent opportunity to do exactly that.

Here is a possible framework for a deal that could work.

It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks should do or will do. That is all.

Atlanta Hawks get: Kevin Huerter, 2027 2nd round pick (via Sacramento), 2027 2nd round pick (via OKC/Houston/Indiana/Miami, from San Antonio), 2029 2nd round pick (via Sacramento)

San Antonio Spurs get: De'Aaron Fox, David Roddy

Sacramento Kings get: Keldon Johnson, Larry Nance Jr, Tre Jones, Jeremy Sochan, Garrison Mathews, 2025 1st round pick (via Atlanta, from San Antonio), 2027 1st round pick (via San Antonio, top-5 protected), 2028 1st round pick (via Boston, from San Antonio)

Why the Hawks would do this trade: Huerter is a bench shooter who's had success in Atlanta, boasts a career 37.7% mark from deep and shot 36.1% from deep on five attempts a game just last season. He is fairly one-dimensional, but he would help the Hawks' shooting issues and fits well around stars when he is not in the midst of a shooting slump. The Hawks would also get picks for taking his contract on.

Why the Hawks would not do this trade: Huerter is currently going through one of the worst slumps of his career (30.8% from deep on six attempts a game) and struggles on defense. If his shot is not falling, it is difficult for him to stay on the court. He is also making north of 16 million dollars a year, which is a farily significant salary for a bench shooter.

Why the Spurs would do this trade: Fox's speed is unmatched by practically anyone in the NBA and he's a true three-level scorer. His defensive concerns would be severly mitigated by playing with Wemby and he draws attention away from the superstar center on offense. He's a nigh-superstar level talent and is currently averaging 26.3 points and 6.1 assists on 48.7% shooting from the field. That's to say nothing of how effective he is in the fourth quarter as an isolation scorer. A trio of Fox, Devin Vassell and Wemby isn't perfect, but it's a good start for competing in the West.

Why the Spurs would not do this trade: They may not want to spend significant assets on trading for a player they will need to immediately sign to a new deal. Furthermore, they could decide that Fox is not the player they want to put next to Wemby because his shooting from deep isn't always the most consistent.

Why the Kings would do this trade: If Fox is truly unhappy in Sacramento, they could do much worse than Sochan and Johnson as immediate-impact role players for a roster that could use an injection of real depth. Jones can slide in as an immediate replacement for Fox while 2024 1st-round pick Devin Carter continues to recover from shoulder surgery. Larry Nance and Garrison Mathews are vets that can fill useful roles on the team (Mathews with spacing and Nance as a real backup to All-Star center Domantas Sabonis). There is also the matter of landing three first-round picks from San Antonio that all have a good chance of conveying to Sacramento. This would be one of, if not the best, haul they could reasonably get back for Fox.

Why the Kings would do this trade: None of the players Sacramento is acquiring in this deal have obvious star upside. It is also possible that acquiring Johnson and Sochan would stunt the development of Keon Ellis and Keegan Murray by taking valuable touches away from them. Furthermore, this is a deal that has a high potential for stranding the Kings in the NBA's middle class.

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