Proposed Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Sends Alex Caruso + Brandon Ingram to Hawks, Dejounte Murray to Pelicans

What kind of moves will the Atlanta Hawks make this offseason?

Nov 4, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) dribbles against Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray (5) and forward De'Andre Hunter (12) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Hawks are inching closer to having to make important decisions about their roster. The 2024 NBA Draft is less than three weeks away and Atlanta is on the clock after winning the Draft Lottery. Not only that, Atlanta has to figure out what to do with the Trae Young/Dejounte Murray backcourt, as well as other veteran players such as Clint Capela and De'Andre Hunter. This team could look much different by the time the season tips off in October.

New Orleans was swept in the first round at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder and are looking to shake up their roster this offseason.

Both teams are looking to reshape their rosters and they have pieces that the other needs. New Orleans needs a point guard to run the offense and pair with Zion Williamson, while Atlanta needs wing players to give them more size. The two teams have been written about as natural trade partners and there is a lot of sense that could be made in a lot of different trades between the two teams.

The Chicago Bulls on the other hand are a bit of a mystery. DeMar DeRozan is a free agent and while Chicago might want to still be competitive for a lower seed in the East, is that really viable long-term? Wouldn't the Bulls be better off trading their key players away and rebuilding? If Derozan leaves, that could be the case.

How about a trade that helps all three teams? Three-team deals are not common around the NBA, but there are some that make sense. The latest proposal that I have come up with gets each team the kind of trade package they might want (reminder, this is all just speculative):

Atlanta Receives: Brandon Ingram and Alex Caruso

New Orleans Receives: Dejounte Murray and Clint Capela

Chicago receives: Dyson Daniels, AJ Griffin, No. 21 pick in 2024 Draft (Via New Orleans)

I think this is a trade that would benefit all sides. Atlanta gets a playmaking wing player with size in Ingram and one of the best point-of-attack defenders in the NBA in Caruso, something Atlanta sorely needs. New Orleans gets a point guard to lead their offense in Murray and a rim-protecting big who is also a good offensive rebounder in Capela. Murray is on a very favorable deal, giving New Orleans flexibility to extend Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III. The Bulls get two talented young players on cheap contracts and an additional first round pick back for Caruso, who is going into the last year of his deal.

If Atlanta made this deal, what would they do with the No. 1 pick? They could take UConn center Donovan Clingan and have a lineup of:

PG- Trae Young

SG- Alex Caruso

SF- Brandon Ingram

PF- Jalen Johnson

C- Donovan Clingan (could be Alex Sarr too)

The defense, the weakest part of Atlanta's team by far, gets much-needed improvement. While Ingram is more of a mid-range shooter than a three-point shooter, the Hawks would have one of the NBA's best point guards leading the way and creating easy offense for this team. The Hawks would also have a potentially lethal bench with Bogdan Bogdanovic, De'Andre Hunter, Onyeka Okongwu, and Kobe Bufkin. This should be enough to vault Atlanta back into playoff contention. They improve the defense around them and don't sacrifice much offense. Caruso is a good three-point shooter and would be a tremendous fit alongside Young.

I think this would be a good trade for the Pelicans as well. The holdup might be what the Bulls want to do. They have had opportunities to rebuild and make trades, but have been reluctant to do so up to this point. If they don't plan on extending Caruso, they should look to trade him. Griffin still has potential as a knock-down shooter, Daniels is a good two-way guard, and the Bulls would have an extra first-round pick. It would be tough for them to find a better return for him than that.

At 6'8 190 LBS, Ingram checks off the size that the Hawks need and he checks off the playmaking box as well. Whether he has the ball in his hands or not, Ingram can either get his own shot or he can set others up. He has averaged close to six assists per game for the past three seasons and has been a good shot-creator for the Pelican's offense. He had a tough offensive series vs the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs this season, but being with either Young would open up a lot for him.

He is not a perfect fit though on Atlanta, especially from a defensive perspective. If he were to be paired with Young, he would add to the defensive concerns of the team, but they could be overcome because while he is not a great defender, he is not one of the worst in the league and he has size at least. The other thing would be his three-point shooting, as it has fluctuated a bit over the years. He shot 35.5% from three this year, down from 39% last year. The year before that, he shot 32%. There is inconsistency with his three-point shooting.

Ingram is also going into the last year of his contract and will need a new one after next season. Obviously, if the Hawks trade for him, they will be giving him a new contract, but it would also tie him and whoever the point guard is on the team together. Also consider that Jalen Johnson is going to be extension-eligible this offseason, meaning Atlanta could have a lot of money tied up in either Young/Murray, Ingram, the No. 1 pick (unless it is traded), and Johnson. This would be the core of the Hawks if they made this trade and they would need to hope that it could bring them more success than they have had recently in the postseason. Atlanta would likely want to extend Caruso as well and lock in this core.

Ingram would bring a lot of upside to the Hawks and it does seem like New Orleans might be willing to move him. 

Again, this is all speculative and these type of hypotheticals are longshots, but this trade makes sense for all sides.

Buckle up for a potentially wild summer.