New Trade Proposal Sends Larry Nance to Cleveland, Hawks Make Improvements on Defense

Would the Hawks need to make a trade before the season to improve their defense?

Apr 19, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) reacts to making a basket against Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) in the second half during a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks are going start training camp in just a few weeks and a critical season is going to begin for the Hawks. Atlanta reshaped their roster this offseason and hope that it is enough to get them back in the postseason. One of the new players that they acquired this offseason was veteran big man Larry Nance, who the Hawks got in the deal that sent Dejounte Murray to New Orleans. Nance has stayed in trade rumors even after coming to Atlanta, but nothing has materialized yet. The Hawks have a bit of a logjam at center with Clint Capela, Onyeka Okongwu, and Nance right now and it might help the Hawks to move either Nance or Capela.

Who would be interested in a trade for Nance? Bleacher Report analyst Dan Favale suggested this trade to send Nance to Cleveland:

Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: Larry Nance Jr., Minnesota's 2025 second-round pick

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Dean Wade, Ty Jerome

"Nance has plenty of defensive utility in his own right, but he's a tad redundant when Atlanta also has Clint Capela, Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson on the roster. This isn't a huge deal if the Hawks are intending to play small and/or move Capela, or if they believe Nance can check wings most of the time.

The latter should be a non-starter. Atlanta needs more of a true-wing defender. Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher are viable options but profile as imperfect. Daniels' offensive value exists on shaky ground if he doesn't have the ball, and expecting Risacher to emerge as a net-positive two-way ring in his rookie season is an awfully big ask.

Wade gives the Hawks a more bankable contributor. Injuries have dogged him the past couple of seasons, but at 6'9", he's shown the ability to guard basically every position. When this defensive package is complemented by a career 37.1 percent clip from downtown, his checkered health bill is worth rolling the dice on—particularly when he's under team control at sub-$7 million through 2025-26.

Jerome isn't some throw-in, either. Cleveland might actually balk at including him. He's 6'5", with a nifty shooting stroke, and scraps like hell on the defensive end. His arrival also goes a long way toward deepening the second-string point guard minutes, which will currently be divvied up between Daniels, Kobe Bufkin and Vit Krejčí.

This trade likely needs to beget another for the Cavs. Reuniting with Nance will do wonders for their secondary front-line rotation, but if they're looking to avoid the tax and re-sign Isaac Okoro (restricted), they'll need to shed some salary.

Georges Niang or Caris LeVert are already candidates to be moved in service of acquiring another wing. This deal increases the likelihood, and necessity, of doing that. And if the Cavs are prepared for the necessary financial finagling, they can remove Jerome from the package entirely."

Dean Wade is a strong defender and would give the Hawks depth, especially behind Jalen Johnson, which is a question mark. Wade is a strong defender and a good three-point shooter, two skills that would help the Hawks this season. It might be hard for Jerome to see major minutes with the guards the Hawks have, but it is not impossible.

It feels like any trades are unlikely at this point in the offseason, but this is something that could be revisited leading up to the trade deadline.