New Blockbuster Draft Day Trade Proposal Has Hawks Trading Down With Grizzlies To Add Perimeter Stopper

Draft day is officially upon us and the Atlanta Hawks have several interesting options ahead of them.

They could still make a trade up if they leverage future draft capital or trade back if they want to pick up more capital and can get an established veteran in return. However, the blockbuster trade they made yesterday to get Kristaps Porzingis changes things significantly. According to multiple reports, the Hawks are acquiring Porzingis and a 2026 2nd round pick from the Celtics, Terance Mann and the No. 22 pick are going to Brooklyn, and the Celtics are getting Georges Niang and a 2031 2nd rounder from Atlanta.

At his best, Porzingis provides needed floor spacing, interior size, and versatility. Over the past year, Atlanta has wanted to get bigger around Trae Young and put a team that can cover for him defensively and take advantage of his size to succeed. Porzingis can play the four and Atlanta could have a big lineup of Young, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Porzingis, and Onyeka Okongwu. It is also possible to use Porzingis as a bench piece and insert him into the lineup as a backup center.

However, the loss of the 22nd overall pick is a major blow when considering Atlanta's odds of trading up. The 13th overall pick is just outside of the top 10, but there are still several intriguing options at that selection. Big men like Derik Queen, Joan Beringer, and Danny Wolf could be in play, while it's hard to rule out the possibility of the Hawks adding another wing like Cedric Coward or Collin Murray-Boyles.

Even so, I think the Hawks could be better served trading back and staying in the top-20 while possibly picking up an established veteran. There are several teams that might want to come up from their selection, but one of the most interesting is the Memphis Grizzlies. While it has been reported in recent days that the Grizzlies are going to hold onto both Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson, Morant has declined in recent seasons and hasn't been the same since making the All-NBA second team in the 2021-22 season. However, if the young point guard is able to recapture his form, he could be one of the best players in the NBA. That makes their roster a very confusing evaluation, in addition to the fact that they have talented young wings in Vince Williams Jr and GG Jackson that might be avaliable.

Here is one possible trade that could go down tonight.

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 or any other teams should do or will do. That is all.

Atlanta Hawks Receive: 2025 1st round pick (via ORL, from MEM, #16), Vince Williams Jr, 2025 2nd round pick (via HOU, from MEM, #57)

Memphis Grizzlies Receive: 2025 1st-round pick (via SAC, from ATL, #13)

Why the Hawks would do this deal: They are still able to keep a pick in the top 20 selections of the first round and remain in play for a center like Joan Beringer or Maxime Reynaud. Wings like Nique Clifford or Liam McNeeley might also be in play for Atlanta at that selection. Furthermore, Atlanta's perimeter defense struggled last season and adding Williams would give them a defensive stopper. He's still only 24 years old, and he's under contract for the next two years at under $5 million per season.

Why the Hawks would not do this deal: They are taking on a risk in Williams due to his injury situation - he only played 27 games after an excellent sophomore season and did not look anything like effective perimeter stopper that shot 37.8% from deep on four attempts. Furthermore, it's possible their center target will not be on the board at #16.

Why the Grizzlies would do this deal: Williams did not seem like a fit with the Grizzlies last season and they could add a wing or frontcourt piece with the upgrade in draft slot. Collin Murray-Boyles would be an excellent fit in Memphis while they can also take a flyer on Derik Queen, deploying him next to Jaren Jackson Jr to mitigate his defensive issues. Replacing a sharpshooter like Bane with Jase Richardson wouldn't be a bad idea, either.

Why the Grizzlies wouldn't do this deal: They may not want to give up on the potential of Williams of being a contributor for the upgrade in draft slot and it's likely that the move upwards may not be as necessary for them. Memphis has needs in both the backcourt and frontcourt, so they aren't locked into targeting one position in the draft and could make themselves a better team without having to trade up.

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 or any other teams should do or will do. That is all.

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