New Blockbuster Three Team Trade Idea Sends Paul George To Atlanta, John Collins + De'Andre Hunter to Philly

The NBA Trade Deadline is nearly 48 hours away and this has already been one of the craziest trade deadline weeks in NBA history. Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis swapped teams this past Saturday and then De'Aaron Fox was traded from Sacramento to San Antonio on Sunday. There have been other rumblings of other landscaping shifting trades in the league as well and things could get even crazier.

The Atlanta Hawks are going to be one of the most interesting teams to watch leading up to Thursday's deadline. Players such as Clint Capela, Cody Zeller, Larry Nance Jr, and Bogdanovic have been mentioned as trade possibilities, but will the Hawks move any of them? The team announced last week that star forward Jalen Johnson is going to miss the rest of the season and that is something that could potentially alter their plans at the deadline. Bogdanovic has been out for the Hawks and has been listed as "Not With Team". Both Capela and Nance are expiring deals. It feels like the Hawks are going to make a move, but what would that look like, and for who?

Last night, the Hawks were linked to a player for the first time and that player was 76ers forward Paul George.

76ers Reporter Keith Pompey at the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that the Hawks and the Golden State Warriors are two teams that have shown interest in George ahead of the trade deadline on Thursday.

Now is not time for Sixers to trade Paul George, who has drawn attention from the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors https://t.co/prVYHc4Liu via @phillyinquirer
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) February 3, 2025

You can read the entire piece here.

This is certainly interesting from the Hawk's perspective if true. In the past, George would have been a seemingly good fit beside Trae Young and the rest of the team, but now I am not so sure. George just signed a four-year deal this offseason and it gets increasingly more expensive. George is owed $51.6M next season, $54.1M in 2026-2027, and if he opts into his player option for the final season (he almost certainly will), he will be set to make $56.5M. George is 34 years old and has not been the same player that he has been in the past. He is currently averaging 17.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 4,7 APG on 43% shooting from the field and 37% from three.

The Hawks could use George in the short term given that Jalen Johnson is going to miss the rest of the season, but the long-term money of his contract does not make sense if I am the Hawks, George has not been the same player as he was on the Clippers, and he has had trouble with injuries, which is not something Atlanta needs more of. If the Hawks wanted to take on George's contract, then they should try to get a draft pick attached to it. I also think this would likely need to be a three-team trade, but it does not have to be.

If the Hawks wanted to trade for George (if you want my opinion, I would not trade for him if I were the Hawks), what are some potential ways it could look? Here is one trade that could work.

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 should do or will do. That is all.

Hawks Receive: Paul George and Svi Mykhailiuk

76ers Receive: John Collins and De'Andre Hunter

Jazz receive: Clint Capela, Cody Zeller, and a 2025 1st round pick via ATL (Top 12-protected via SAC)

Why the Hawks do this trade: George would be a useful player for the Hawks (especially given their roster situation), all other elements aside. He would be a secondary creator on offense, which the Hawks sorely need and give them an upgrade when it comes to scoring. Mykhailiuk is an effective three-point shooter, which is a weakness for the Hawks on this team.

Why the Hawks don't do this trade: There are far more reasons the Hawks should not do this than reasons they should. First is the money and the contract. George has not been the same player as he was on the Clippers and has taken a noticeable step back this year. The Hawks would be stuck with him and his contract if they traded for him, which would not be an ideal situation with Jalen Johnson's extension kicking in soon and them needing a new deal for Dyson Daniels soon. This would put the Hawks over the luxury tax, which is not something they have wanted to pay under owner Tony Ressler. Would that change just for George? I am skeptical.

Why the 76ers do this trade: Collins is having a really good season, shooting a career-best from three, and only has one more year on his contract after this year is over. Hunter is in the running for 6th Man of the Year and gets the 76ers younger at the wing position. They get off of George's contract and get guys who would be useful players for multiple seasons without having to give up any draft assets.

Why the 76ers don't do this trade: While Collins and Hunter are good players, they are not All-NBA caliber players either and Philadelphia might be holding out hope that George can be the player they hoped they were getting when he signed with them.

Why the Jazz do this deal: They free up money by trading Collins and get a protected first round pick in return. Danny Ainge is all about collecting draft assets in this rebuild and while Collins is a good player, he is not a part of their long term plans seemingly.

Why the Jazz don't do this deal: They value Collins more and want more than this in return.

This deal seems highly unlikely, but it is one way that the Hawks could get George if that is a path they want to go down. They have less than 48 hours to decide if it is.

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 should do or will do. That is all.

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