New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends De'Aaron Fox to Dallas, Hawks Add Wing Depth

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 secon 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.

After making one of the biggest trades in NBA history, the Dallas Mavericks have adopted a quieter approach to the offseason. They signed center Daniel Gafford to a reasonable 3-year, $54 million dollar deal, added Nets point guard D'Angelo Russell on a 2-year, $13 million dollar deal and made the obvious selection at the top of the 2025 NBA Draft by adding Duke forward Cooper Flagg to complement a duo of Anthony Davis and, eventually, Kyrie Irving. While the Mavericks' frontcourt is stacked with playable options, the backcourt is noticeably thinner even with the addition of Russell. Irving is projected to miss a large portion of next season and Klay Thompson is the only other reliable ball-handler on the roster. Even though Irving should return in the second half of the season, it's possible that the Mavericks could add another backcourt scorer to lessen the burden immediately placed on his shoulders.

The San Antonio Spurs are a difficult team to project next season. They should be a threat to make the playoffs given the return of superstar center Victor Wembanyama from deep-vein thrombosis tht ended his season last year. However, the roster is largely unchanged from last year outside of the addition of former Celtics center Luke Kornet on a four-year, $40 million dollar deal. They should be able to run some very fun double-big looks with Wemby and Kornet, but it's clear that they need more pieces before they are ready to truly threaten teams in a loaded Western Conference. They were fortunate to get the 2nd overall pick and used it on Rutgers point guard Dylan Harper, but that now creates some redundancy between Harper, 2024 Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and guard De'Aaron Fox, who they got in exchange for two first-rounders last season.

So how about a deal where each team 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.

Hawks Receive: Caleb Martin

Spurs Receive: Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, 2030 2nd round pick (via PHI, from DAL), 2031 1st-round pick (via DAL, top-8 protected), 2032 2nd-round pick (via DAL)

Mavericks Receive: De'Aaron Fox, 2027 1st-round pick (via ATL, top-5 protected)

Why the Hawks would do this deal: Last offseason, there was a lot of surprise when Caleb Martin signed for a 4-year, $35 million dollar deal with the 76ers. Martin was a massive part of the Heat's run to the 2022 Finals, averaging 12.7 points and 5.4 rebounds on 52.9/42.3/82.9 shooting splits across 23 postseason games. When healthy, he's a solid 3&D wing who can space the floor and function as a rotation piece. He's under contract for the next three seasons and should be a cheap acquisition because of the down year he had last season. As far as veteran wing depth goes, the Hawks could do far worse than Martin, who they can fit into their $11 million TPE.

Why the Hawks would not do this deal: Martin has always been a better postseason player than a regular season player, where's he's been a limited scorer and more hesitant shooter. He has also struggled to find success outside of Miami, which leads to some concern that he could be a product of their system. Furthermore, his long-term contract would cut into the Hawks' future flexibility.

Why the Spurs would do this deal: Thompson still has it as a shooter, shooting 39.1% from deep on 7.7 attempts a game and 90.5% from the line. The Spurs really lacked spacing to complement Wemby last season and Klay would certainly help in that regard. Despite his injury history, he played in 72 games last season and his basketball IQ allows him to play off of almost anyone. He's lost a step on defense, but he can still do enough to be passable with Wemby behind him as a rim protector. The Spurs are also likely going to lose Chris Paul this offseason - adding a veteran as accomplished as Thompson would go a long way towards replacing his leadership. Washington averaged 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, shooting 38.1% from beyond the arc on 4.2 attempts per game. He's incredibly versatile on defense and at only 27 years old, he could play himself into a long-term deal in San Antonio. San Antonio also adds a pick that should convey during Wembanyama's ascent into his prime, which should be extremely helpful, and eliminate the need to give Fox a max deal. He has struggled to accept an off-ball role throughout his career and the Spurs are going to want to develop the Harper-Castle backcourt as much as possible.

Why the Spurs would not do this deal: Extending Washington would cut into their long-term financial outlook and they want to preserve as much flexibility as possible around Wemby. They are also giving up a first-round pick during one of Wemby's "cheap" seasons (2027), which is a really helpful tool for adding cost-controlled young talent around their superstar.

Why the Mavericks would do this deal: After getting traded to San Antonio, the roster around De'Aaron Fox quickly fell apart due to injuries. It's hard to grade him too harshly for the decreased output of 19.7 points and 6.8 assists on 44.6/27.4/81.9 shooting splits. However, Fox averaged 25 points and 6.1 assists on 46.9/32.2/82.9 shooting splits in the 45 games prior to being dealt, so it's clear that he can handle a large scoring role when the pieces are reasonable around him. In Dallas, he'd have an opportunity to be the point guard until Irving returns. While the fit is a little questionable considering both are smaller players who aren't great defenders, the Mavericks are insulated by a defense of Anthony Davis, Cooper Flagg and Dereck Lively II/Daniel Gafford. Dallas would be a true contender in the West and Fox can use the situation to increase his value on the open market next summer, where more teams have cap space and can throw a big offer his way. They also move off of a bad deal in Martin's contract.

Why the Mavericks would not do this deal: Fox still needs a new deal and they'd be heavily incentivized to give him one if they dealt a first-round pick to get him. He also is a more hesitant shooter than his reputation would indicate and the fit has always been awkward when he's asked to play next to another point guard. That becomes very complicated because they already have two max contracts on their books in Davis and Irving. Handing another big deal out to Fox could handicap their future around Flagg, who is poised to be the primary option of the future for the Mavericks.

More Atlanta Hawks News:

Atlanta Hawks Officially Announce The Acquisition Of Kristaps Porzingis

Projecting The Atlanta Hawks Starting Lineup And Depth Chart After Their Free Agency Moves

Atlanta Officially Announces The Addition Of Nickeil Alexander-Walker

New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Idea Sends Lauri Markkanen to Detroit, Hawks Add Backup Point Guard