New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Idea Sends Jonathan Isaac to Indiana, Orlando Gets Mathurin, Hawks Add Center

Although it's always difficult to predict exactly how the offseason will affect the upcoming NBA season, it seems clear that the Eastern Conference is going to be up for grabs. The Indiana Pacers won the conference last year in one of the most surprising championship runs in recent memory, but they are going to be without Tyrese Haliburton for the year. The Boston Celtics have always been a force in the Eastern Conference, but Jayson Tatum went down with an Achilles injury in the second round and will miss the upcoming season. The Bucks made a big move to add Myles Turner, but they had to cut Damian Lillard to do it. In short, the only three teams that seem to be locks for postseason returns are the New York Knicks, Orlando Magic and the Cleveland Cavaliers. That leaves an opportunity for several teams to take advantage.

The Atlanta Hawks are certainly doing their best to seize that opportunity. After trading for Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis and drafting Georgia power forward Asa Newell, Atlanta reached a pair of huge free agent signings. The Hawks signed a marquee free agent in Wolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker to a four-year, $62 million deal in a sign and trade that sent a 2027 2nd-round pick (via CLE) to the Wolves. Then, the Hawks signed free agent guard Luke Kennard to a one-year, $11 million deal. They also got an unprotected first-round pick from the New Orleans Pelicans in a draft-night trade. Given the massive injuries in the Eastern Conference next season, it seems that the Atlanta Hawks are going for it and making moves to put themselves in position to contend. One area they could still use some depth is at small forward or another ball-handler.

Indiana is one of the teams that most expect to take a big step back next season. They lost Myles Turner this offseason to the Milwaukee Bucks and they'll also be without Tyrese Haliburton for next season. That means two of the starting five from their NBA Finals team are already gone for 2025-26. Turner's ability to block shots and finish plays will be a challenge for Indiana to replace with a combination of Jay Huff and Isaiah Jackson. It's possible that the Pacers could be motivated to add a difference-making defender if the cost of acquistion is reasonable.

The Magic made aggressive moves to get better in anticipation of being one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference next season. They pulled off a blockbuster deal for Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane and signed Tyus Jones to serve as their backup point guard. Orlando should be one of the five best teams in the East next season behind their star wing duo of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. However, the Magic could still stand to add more shooting. They finished last in 3P% in 2024-25, so expecting Bane to fix that by himself is a difficult proposition.

So how about a trade where each of these teams tries to fill a need?

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: Goga Bitazde

Orlando Magic Receive: Bennedict Mathurin, Vit Krejci, 2026 2nd round pick (via TOR, from IND), 2027 2nd round pick (via UTA, from IND), 2028 2nd-round pick (via DAL, from IND), 2031 2nd round pick (via HOU/ATL, from ATL)

Indiana Pacers Receive: Jonathan Isaac

Jonathan Isaac Orland — Mar 21, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac (1) looks on during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Why the Hawks would do this deal: For a backup big man, Bitazde is a pretty solid acquisition. He's 25 and on a long-term contract, so the Hawks wouldn't have to continue searching for a backup big man if this deal works out. He hit 72% of his attempts at the rim this season, which was in the 72nd percentile last year. Most importantly, he graded out as an extremely effective rim protector, posting a BLK% of 3.9% as a 95th percentile shot blocker. He's not much of a floor spacer and he fell out of Orlando's rotation because of his offensive limitations. However, pairing him with a ball-hander as gifted as Trae Young allows for him to have some offensive utility in pick-and-roll actions similar to how Young worked with Capela.

Why the Hawks would not do this deal: Goga is also under contract for the next two seasons, so this deal cuts into their long-term cap flexibility. Furthermore, they already have three centers on the roster and it's possible that the Hawks might not need to have him.

Why the Magic would do this deal: Even though he wasn't the most consistent performer for the Pacers, Mathurin had several flashes throughout Indiana's run to the Finals. The raw numbers wouldn't suggest it - he averaged 11 points and 3.3 rebounds on 45.9/30/86.4% shooting splits. However, he showed up for Indiana in both Game 3 and Game 7 despite Haliburton's injury. There's value to a microwave scorer that can have some massive games off the bench for a contender and the Canadian wing is only 22 years old. His untapped potential could be massive for a Magic team that needs more bench scoring next season. In the regular season, Mathurin averaged 16.1 points on a career-best 57.9 TS% last year. It wouldn't be entirely surprising to see him blossom into a great fourth option for Orlando that kickstarts their offense when needed. Krejci isn't a household name, but he shot over 40% from three for the second straight season, going for a career-high 43.7% this season on an average of 3.6 attempts per game. In fact, Krejci ranked in the 92nd percentile in three-point accuracy per Cleaning the Glass. He was a deadly accurate shooter and the Magic could use more of that in their rotation. From a cap perspective, this deal would also drop Orlando below the luxury tax line and gives them more flexibility to add to their roster.

Why the Magic would not do this deal: Isaac's been essential to their defense and neither Krejci or Mathurin are close to his level on that end of the floor. Even though he is frequently injured, his versatility on defense and relatively affordable contract are huge for a Magic team that doesn't have a ton of cost-controlled depth that can play in the playoffs.

Why the Pacers would do this deal: Although Isaac's limited offensive game and injury history make him a difficult player to roster on a contender, his defense is still very useful. He's arguably the best shot-blockers across all forwards, turning in a 100th-percentile level BLK% of 4.1% last season while also posting an elite STL% of 2.4% last year. As a rebounder, he was one of the best offensive rebounders last season across all forwards with a OREB% of 10.3% while also grabbing 18.3% of missed FGs from opponents, a 96th-percentile level figure. He can play either PF or center, guards 1-5 and can replace what Indiana lost as a shot blocker from Turner's departure. Isaac's also a better rim protector than Turner due to his consistency and understanding of defensive positioning. Indiana's also a very good shooting team, so they have the spacing to play a non-shooter like Turner better than most.

Why the Pacers would not do this deal: Outside of Isaac's lengthy injury history, it's also fair to wonder whether he'd be playable on a team that doesn't have Tyrese Haliburton to set him up on offense. They might also want to keep Mathurin because of his growth potential while Isaac is practically a known quantity at this point.

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