New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Idea Sends Jonathan Isaac to the Warriors, Moody to Magic, Hawks Add Backup 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.

One team that has been abnormally quiet this offseason is the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors have been linked to free agent center Al Horford, but it doesn't appear that both sides are anywhere close to a deal. They also have to make a decision on a contract for restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga. Kuminga might have value on a different team, but his fit in Golden State has always been clunky. Golden State desperately needs to add some more size to their lineup, so losing Kuminga is going to be a blow regardless of his ineffectiveness with their team. Their core of Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green is aging and lineups are becoming much bigger around the NBA. If they don't have the length/size to match up, it's unlikely they'll be able to make a deep run around Curry.

The Orlando Magic are the exact opposite. It can be argued that no team did more to improve themselves than the Magic this offseason - 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, 2027 1st-round pick (via GSW, lottery-protected)

Golden State Warriors Receive: Jonathan Isaac, Jett Howard, Mo Gueye

Orlando Magic Receive: Gui Santos, Moses Moody

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. Getting a 2027 first-round pick, even if it's heavily protected and in a weak draft class, could still be a useful piece for the Hawks to use in future deals.

Why the Hawks would not do this deal: Goga is a complete non-shooter and that's difficult for the Hawks to accomodate considering that Okongwu isn't much of a floor spacer either. He is also under contract for the next two seasons, so this deal cuts into their long-term cap flexibility.

Why the Warriors would do this deal: The Warriors built a dynasty off of running Draymond Green out as a small-ball five, but that's a dying strategy in the modern NBA. At 35 years old, it's fair to wonder if the defensive load that Green takes on will catch up with him. Jonathan Isaac would give them insurance against that. 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. Curry's shooting gravity could make Isaac into a passable offensive player who'd form a frightening defensive duo with Green. This move also allows them to move on from Kuminga with a credible answer at PF on their roster. To supplement their center depth further in case Isaac misses most of the season with injuries, Gueye is a great development swing for them to take on. He posted a BLK% of 3.3% (87th percentile) and a STL% of 2.3% (96th percentile) for the Hawks last season. Gueye needs to cut down on fouls, but there's a chance he could develop into a nice backup big man who can slide in at either the 4 or 5 as a standout defender. Jett Howard hasn't shown much in the NBA thus far, but he's only 21 years old and shot the ball well coming out of Michigan. He's also 6'8, so it'd be a worthy gamble for Golden State to take on in hopes of finding some playable size. Gueye is an interesting development project - he showed exciting defensive chops last season in Atlanta. He posted a BLK% of 3.3% (87th percentile) and a STL% of 2.3% (96th percentile). Gueye needs to cut down on fouls, but there's a chance he could develop into a nice backup big man who can slide in at either the 4 or 5 as a standout defender.

Why the Warriors would not do this deal: They are taking on a risk by sending out their 2027 first-rounder, even if it is heavily protected. Furthermore, it increases their payroll and they may want to preserve that money for a deal that brings Gary Payton II back to Golden State or a Al Horford signing.

Why the Magic would do this deal: Although Moody wasn't able to maintain it for the entire season, he averaged 12.8 points and 3.3 rebounds on 43.3% from 3-point range on nearly five attempts per game in the 14 games he started. Those numbers drastically fell off in the postseason, but a healthy Moody could be a really interesting piece for the Magic to add. He has the length and size to be a passable defender and he's under contract for the next three years on a cheaper deal than Isaac. Santos is a great rebounder and can replace some of the rebounding that Orlando would lose by dealing Isaac.

Why the Magic would not do this deal: They aren't getting a first-round pick back for Isaac and he's an elite defender when healthy. Orlando's defensive identity is critical to their team and they may not want to risk losing that by dealing him.

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