New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Zion Williamson to Spurs, Hawks Fill Backup Point Guard Spot

Could the Hawks use a possible trade of Williamson to the Spurs as an opportunity to fill one of their biggest roster holes?
Mar 10, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) dribbles against Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Mar 10, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) dribbles against Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
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The Atlanta Hawks could really use a backup point guard. The loss of Kobe Bufkin to a season-ending shoulder injury has not only weakened their depth, but created much more of a workload for Trae Young to handle.

Fortunately, there are a few options for them to get help in this area. One of those is point guard Tre Jones from the San Antonio Spurs, In 2024-25, Jones is averaging 3.6 points on only 45.5/22.2/77.8 shooting splits, but he also averages 3.9 assists to 0.7 turnovers per game. He's a solid passer who can string a second unit together. Due to his struggles on offense, the asking price for his services also won't be particularly high.

It is possible for Atlanta and San Antonio to do a 1 for 1 swap of Jones and Larry Nance Jr, who is redundant on a Hawks team that has a lot of backup centers. However, San Antonio is known to be on the look-out for a disgruntled star to pair with Victor Wembenyama. What if they decided to get Zion Williamson?

It is worth noting that Wililamson is likely more avaliable for trade than at any other point in his injury-plagued career. He was just suspended for one game due to multiple instances of being late for team events and the talented Pelicans forward has only played in seven games all year. Add that to the fact that New Orleans has one of the worst records in the Western Conference and it seems clear that the team would be better off turning the page on the Williamson era.

If the Spurs decided to pull the trigger on a Williamson trade, what would a three-team deal look like if Atlanta was included? Here's a possible framework for the deal.

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: Tre Jones, Antonio Reeves, 2028 2nd round pick (via Minnesota, from San Antonio Spurs)

San Antonio Spurs get: Zion Williamson, Jordan Hawkins, Cody Zeller, David Roddy, 2026 2nd round pick (via Memphis, from Atlanta, protected 31-42)

New Orleans Pelicans get: Zach Collins, Charles Bassey, Keldon Johnson, 2025 1st round pick (via Atlanta, from San Antonio Spurs), 2025 2nd round pick (via Chicago, from San Antonio Spurs), 2026 2nd round pick (via NOP/Portland), 2027 1st round pick (via San Antonio Spurs)

Why the Hawks would do this trade: Jones is a solid enough backup point guard with an expiring salary after this year. If they would like to keep him, he likely won't be too much of an impediment to their roster-building. For this season, he keeps Vit Krejci and Keaton Wallace from taking on a workload that they might not be suited for. While he doesn't light up the scoreboard, the Hawks are very short on playmakers outside of Young and Johnson. This is a low-risk opportunity to add another one. Furthermore, San Antonio probably wouldn't request a real asset in return for taking on Jones' salary to facilitate the Zion trade. Antonio Reeves has played sparingly, but had a 34-point explosion against the Cavs recently. He's impressed against G League competition and could turn into a nice rotation guard for the Hawks.

Why the Hawks would not do this trade: Jones is not much of a complementary scorer and struggles to carry the offense from a scoring perspective in the absence of another creator. He is also a bad three-point shooter, which does not bode well for a Hawks team that already struggles from deep. The Hawks need another guard, but Jones might not be the acquisition that elevates them. Reeves has struggled to carve a spot out beyond the G League and cannot be counted on to provide a consistent impact.

Why the Spurs would do this trade: Zion's defense becomes significantly less of a problem when backed up by someone like Wemby. The sheer size of a Wemby-Zion frontcourt would be imposing for most teams to handle and he'd be able to play off the incredible passing of Chris Paul. At his best, Zion is an All-Star level scorer who can get to 20+ points per game with ease to go with seven rebounds and 4-5 assists. San Antonio has picks to spare and needs to add another star talent sooner rather than later. From a talent perspective, there is not a better combination of youth and ability than Williamson theoretically available to acquire. Zeller and Roddy are merely depth pieces while Hawkins has been having a great season for the Pelicans. He's shown signs of a reliable midrange shot, upped his scoring volume and become a better decision maker on the court. Although his shooting from deep hasn't been amazing, he's showed real growth and could emerge as a key rotation piece for San Antonio.

Why the Spurs would not do this trade: Zion's inability to stay healthy and on the court are very worrying. He's also dealt with weight issues and off-court distractions on numerous occasions in his career. He is also signed on a max deal through the 2027-28 season. The Spurs have a lot of salary cap room to operate with, but that number is only going to grow smaller and smaller in coming seasons. Add that to the fact that it would take multiple, lightly-protected picks to convince New Orleans to trade its franchise player and it's going to be a significant risk to bring on Zion. For all his improvements, Hawkins is still relegated to being a bench scorer and neither Roddy or Zeller has been impressive for Atlanta. Zeller has not even played a game with the Hawks.

Why the Pelicans would do this trade: Two-first round picks are the main sweetener in this deal, but it shouldn't be discounted that adding Keldon Johnson is a fairly solid move that gives the Pelicans tradeable salary and a good sixth man as they head into another rebuild. Clearing Zion's massive salary also opens tons of future flexibility for the Pelicans as they look to re-tool around a trio of Yves Missi, Trey Murphy and Herb Jones. Charles Bassey is a solid defensive center and Collins is a decent shooter for a center that might be able to play with Missi.

Why the Pelicans would not do this trade: Johnson, Collins and Bassey is a pretty poor return for Williamson due to the fact that none of them are premier young prospects. Collins has really struggled this year and seems to be a bad contract at this stage in his career. Bassey's defense is very intriguing, but it remains to be seen if he and Missi can play together.

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