New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Hunter to Nets, Rockets Get Cam Johnson, Atlanta Gets Assets

Could the Hawks involve themselves in a deal for the Brooklyn Nets forward in order to significantly improve their future outlook?

Mar 13, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) dribbles the basketball during the second half against Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton (2) at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA off-season has almost completely wound down. With the conclusion of Summer League, the majority of the league has its roster mostly set with one or two margin moves. However, all three teams are in a position where a larger move makes some sense.

At the moment, Atlanta has two pressing questions left to answer on the future of Clint Capela and DeAndre Hunter. It is well-known that both are available and Capela recently elicited some interest from the Knicks. Given that it is July and few teams have a need at center, I think it is unlikely that Capela is moved. The combination of his salary and age likely gives teams pause when considering a move him. That being said, he is still a good center and there's a chance he is moved at the trade deadline.

Hunter's situation is a bit harder to discern. He quietly had a nice year for the Hawks, scoring a career-high 15.6 points on 39% from three-point range. He is still a good defender, but has struggled with consistency and staying healthy. Add that to the two years remaining on his 4-year, $90 million dollar contract and Hunter's presence on this roster becomes a interesting debate. He offers a lot of valuable skills like shooting, size and perimeter defense. Unfortunately, his path to starting minutes is blocked by Zaccharie Risacher, who Atlanta invested the first overall pick in the 2024 draft on, and his salary is too expensive for a bench player. He would be maximized as a starting wing and Atlanta cannot afford to give him that opportunity.

After a four-year streak of missing the playoffs, the Rockets are looking to establish themselves as a force in the incredibly competitive Western Conference. One of the players that could help them do that is Cameron Johnson. In the wake of Brooklyn's blockbuster deal that sent Mikal Bridges to the Knicks for massive draft capital, his former teammate is on the trading block.

Prior to the 2024 NBA Draft, Yahoo Sports's Jake Fischer reported that the Nets are open for buisness when it comes to Johnson and his backcourt partner, Dorian Finney-Smith.

"The Nets are still looking to acquire picks in this draft. And there’s going to be plenty of calls into Brooklyn, offering packages with tonight’s first-round selections for Nets wings Cam Johnson and/or Dorian Finney-Smith. Brooklyn seems quite open for business."

According to NBA insider Brett Siegel, that interest in moving both players has not waned. Yesterday, Siegel had this to say about the possibility of moving Johnson:

“Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Bojan Bogdanovic are the three forwards teams around the league are labeling as the next names to be on the move. Out of this grouping of players, Johnson is the one generating the most interest. In addition to the Kings inquiring about Johnson, the Rockets, Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and San Antonio Spurs have been linked to the former first-round pick, sources said.”

If the Rockets want to acquire Johnson, the Nets want more draft capital and the Hawks want to resolve the DeAndre Hunter situation, there is a deal to be had for all three teams. What would that trade look like?

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.

Here is the trade:

Hawks get: Dorian Finney-Smith, Dennis Schroder, Jae'Sean Tate, 2025 1st round pick (via New York, via Brooklyn), 2025 2nd round pick (via Oklahoma City, via Houston), 2028 2nd round pick (via Brooklyn)

Nets get: DeAndre Hunter, Larry Nance Jr, Dillon Brooks, Jock Landale, 2025 1st round pick (unprotected, via Houston), 2025 2nd round pick (via Milwaukee, via Atlanta), 2026 1st round pick (unprotected, via OKC), 2027 1st round pick (via Milwaukee, via New Orleans, least favorable of both)

Rockets get: Garrison Mathews, Mouhamed Gueye, Cameron Johnson

Why the Hawks do this deal: None of Finney-Smith, Schroder or Tate are players that will take the Hawks from the play-in to a deep playoff run. However, all of them makes sense for this roster. Finney-Smith is a proven 3&D wing who can space the floor and fits around the Trae Young-Jalen Johnson tandem. Last season, he put up 8 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists on 42% shooting from the field and 35% from three-point range on a lackluster Nets team. The Hawks can keep him healthy by having him come off the bench and boost his value as a trade piece. With Brooklyn, there is a real chance that his age and starting workload leads to an injury that would reduce his value for the Nets. If Finney-Smith has a strong season, the Hawks can then flip him at the deadline for another first-round pick and add to their stock of draft capital. Schroder makes sense as a backup point guard and insurance for a Kobe Bufkin injury. Although the organization is familiar with the German guard from his five-year stint as a Hawk, he is not the same player as he was then. He drew rave reviews as a playmaker and leader in Brooklyn while averaging 14 points, six assists and four rebounds on a staggering 41% on good volume from three-point range. His experience would be invaluable to young guards like Dyson Daniels and Kobe Bufkin. Even though he is not a good shooter, Jae'Sean Tate's basketball IQ and hard-nosed brand of defense would be helpful coming off the bench. Houston does not really have a place for the 28 year-old wing anymore and it costs little for Atlanta to find out how he could help their roster in 2024-25. They can also offload Nance Jr, since they already have three centers on the roster and his veteran presence would be helpful in Brooklyn.

Why the Hawks do not do this deal: Because Hunter's deal still runs for two years at a high salary, the Hawks might need to add a first-round pick to get teams interested in acquiring him. I think the 2027 first-round pick is the least valuable first-round pick the Hawks have right now, but it is still draft capital the Hawks would think twice about giving up. They do recoup a first-round pick in the deal, but it is highly unlikely that the Knicks pick is any higher than the 22-30 range. Swapping out a shooter in Mathews for a non-shooter in Tate may not appeal to Atlanta either. Furthermore, if Bufkin stays healthy and shows growth in his sophomore season, Schroder becomes an expensive third-string guard.

Why the Nets do this deal: Three first-round picks. If this deal were to go down, netting three-first round picks for Dorian Finney-Smith, Cam Johnson and Dennis Schroder is a good bit of buisness. Those picks are also spread out over the next three seasons, giving the Nets more ammo to go after draft prospects they place a premium on. For all of his contract and consistency concerns, Hunter is still a solid NBA wing who can play starting minutes for Brooklyn as Johnson's replacement. This deal also solidifies Brooklyn as a bottom-three team in the NBA, which is exactly where they should want to be. Furthermore, adding veteran players in Nance Jr., Brooks and Landale to help their young players will also improve the team culture during a rebuilding period. Brooks especially is a player who was a tone-setter on defense for both Memphis and Houston. For young teams going through a rebuild, he might be one of the best veterans to have on the roster. The Nets are in a prime position to give their young players heavy minutes, determine which are long-term fits for the roster and land premium draft picks to get them back into contention.

Why the Nets do not do this deal: Since Schroder was such a locker room positive last season, they may not want to deal him. Unless Ben Simmons regains some of his previous form and plays more games, they also lack someone who can pass like Schroder. The remaining years of Hunter's contract at significant money might also turn them away from acquiring him. Even though the Knicks pick does not project to be very valuable, it is possible they hold on to that pick so that they can take more swings on prospects in a seemingly-loaded 2025 NBA Draft. Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, Nolan Traore, VJ Edgecombe, Khaman Maluach and Liam McNeeley are all examples of players the Nets might want to move up in the draft for.

Why the Rockets do this deal: If they do this deal, the Rockets would be able to field a lineup of Fred VanVleet - Jalen Green - Cameron Johnson - Jabari Smith Jr - Alperen Sengun with Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore and Tari Eason coming off the bench. That's a very exciting group of young talent and Johnson's skillset is a perfect fit for this roster. Last season, he averaged 13 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists per game on 39% from three-point range and a true shooting percentage of 58.6%. He is also a plus defender who uses his length well. He's a premium 3&D wing and his addition would make the Rockets a real candidate for a #6 or #7 seed. Mathews and Gueye would have limited roles, but Mathews offers shooting off the bench and injury depth. Gueye had an up-and-down Summer League, but has some shooting upside and ability to play center in a backup role behind Sengun and Steven Adams.

Why the Rockets do not do this deal: There is some level of risk in giving up two first-round picks for a player that has injury concerns. He's never played 70 games in a season and missed 24 games just last year. I think Houston has the depth to weather a Johnson injury, but it has to be a concern with acquring him. If he plays well in Houston, there is no guarentee the Rockets lock him up on a long-term deal because of all the young players they have. However, he is under contract for the next two years and that problem is not an immediate issue. Losing the locker room presence that Brooks brings also matters more on a young team like Houston than it otherwise would. They went from the second-worst defense to a top 10 defense by defensive rating largely with the same roster. One of the few differences was Brooks. If they were to do this deal, the Rockets will need to trust that they are able to keep that intensity up even without Brooks.