New Blockbuster Trade Proposal Sends DeAndre Hunter to Charlotte, Hawks Get Defensive Wing To Fortify Defense

Could the Hawks send DeAndre Hunter to Charlotte in exchange for more additions to the defense they are putting around Trae Young?

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

Coming into the off-season, the Atlanta Hawks made it a priority to answer two questions.

The first - and most important - was to decide whether Trae Young or Dejounte Murray was going to be the centerpiece of this roster. Last season proved that Young and Murray co-existing on the court was doomed to fail due to overlapping skillsets. They decided on Young and sent Murray to New Orleans in exchange for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller, a 2025 first-round pick and a conditional 2027 first-rounder.

Next, they needed to figure out the makeup of the roster around Young. The idealized lineup around him would be comprised of two-way players with size and shooting. By taking Zaccharie Risacher in the 2024 NBA Draft and acquiring Daniels, Atlanta can run a lineup that resembles something close to that. Starting Daniels next to Young is not a perfect fit because he is still developing as a shooter, but his defensive tools are excellent. If the shot comes along, Daniels, Johnson and Risacher are a trio that can give Young the support he needs on both ends of the court.

However, with Risacher poised to be the long-term starter at small forward, there are questions swirling around DeAndre Hunter's future in Atlanta. To be clear, Hunter's fit as a sixth or seventh man is not in doubt. He actually showed some of his best basketball coming off the bench last season. His shooting numbers (38% on 5 attempts a game) and standout perimeter defense would fit on a variety of teams. It is also true that his contract makes things complicated. If Atlanta places an emphasis on their financial flexibility, it is very likely that he would be moved.

While there is no perfect deal, most contenders do not have the salary cap space to take on Hunter's deal. The teams that could have interest in his skillset and would be able to absorb his salary include the Utah Jazz, the San Antonio Spurs, the Detroit Pistons and the Charlotte Hornets. Of those teams, I think the Hornets could be an interesting fit. They have Miles Bridges and Brandon Miller, but a third wing might give the roster the juice it needs to make the play-in tournament. What would a deal look like to acquire Hunter?

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

The terms of the trade are as follows:

Atlanta gets: Grant Williams, Vasilje Micic, 2027 first-round pick (via Miami, protected 1-14)

Charlotte gets: DeAndre Hunter, 2025 Round 2 (via Minnesota)

For Charlotte, this move makes sense for both their short-term and long-term needs. They drafted French wing Tidjane Salaun with the sixth overall pick, but he will likely need time before he is ready to be a starter. If they acquired Hunter, they could play a lineup of LaMelo Ball - Miles Bridges - Brandon Miller - DeAndre Hunter - Mark Williams. The Hornets' defense really struggled in 2023-24 and Hunter would immediately be one of the team's best point-of-attack defenders. He is bigger than Williams, can play off of Ball and showed massive improvement as a shooter. Once Salaun is ready, they can move Hunter to a sixth man role before making a decision on his long-term future. If they decide to trade him, he will always have some intrinsic value due to being a wing who can shoot and defend.

Atlanta's main benefit in this deal would be the salary cap space and the first-round pick. Although Williams still makes $13 million per year for the next three years, it is a more manageable deal than Hunter's. Upon arriving in Charlotte due to the PJ Washington trade, Williams averaged 13.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists a game. He accumulated those points by making 50% of his field goals and 37% of his four attempts from three-point range per game. Even though he is not the tallest player, Williams uses his strength and basketball IQ to hold up in matchups against opposing forwards and centers. While I would still expect Jalen Johnson to be the primary defender against big men, Williams can also offer some of that.

Micic's fit in Atlanta is as a backup point guard who can keep bench lineups running. His passing ability flashed in Charlotte, but his shot is still a work in progress. Even though he gave Charlotte good minutes last season, they would not really need him if they made this move. Acquiring Hunter would allow them to play Bridges or Miller at shooting guard and make Tre Mann the sixth man/backup point guard. Mann had a nice season for the Hornets and likely has more offensive upside than Micic due to Micic already being 30.

The first-round pick from Miami likely does not have a ton of upside, but Atlanta is in a pick deficit right now. Since Miami rarely is in a rebuild and manages to make the playoffs almost every year, the pick has a good chance of conveying. It is a gamble that makes sense for Atlanta to take.

Even though the deal makes sense, I think Atlanta declines to make this move because Williams also has a somewhat expensive salary for the bench wing role he would occupy. Charlotte might say no because they view Williams as a glue guy and veteran who can help the Hornets. The difference between what he gave them and what Hunter brings might not match the difference in their salaries.

Whether or not they move him to Charlotte, it will be very interesting to see what Atlanta decides to do with Hunter.