New Blockbuster Draft Day Trade Proposal Has Hawks Trading Up With Toronto To Secure Their Center of the Future

Could the Hawks trade up to the Raptors' selection in order to add a big man they've been linked to in the past?

Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Khaman Maluach (9) shoots the ball over Houston Cougars forward Ja'Vier Francis (5) during the second half in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

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, there has been a lot of smoke about the Hawks looking to trade up for Duke center Khaman Maluach. He's been a highly desirable option in the lottery for teams like the Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns. The Suns definitively need a center and Malauch could easily be a long-term option for them.

Furthermore, NBA insider Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports had this to say about the Hawks trading up.

"League sources say the Hawks are looking to move way up from this pick and have called teams drafting in the top five. They are targeting a center."

If they are trading up, there's almost no question that Maluach would be the target. 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 TOR, #9), Ochai Agbaji

Toronto Raptors Receive: 2025 1st-round pick (via ATL, #13), 2027 1st-round pick swap (via NOP/MIL, from ATL, least favorable)

Why the Hawks would do this: Maluach averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks on 71.2/25/76.6 shooting splits, but it should be noted he'll be almost 19 on draft night and he's 7'2 with a 7'6 wingspan. He's extremely mobile and switchable - Atlanta would have an extremely dangerous center trio of Okongwu, Porzingis and Maluach. Despite his age, Maluach is already a great perimeter defender and should be able to step in as a rim protector in the games that Porzingis sits. His offense is a work-in-progress, but he can be a great lob threat for Trae Young to work with and sets great screens. Maluach only started playing basketball at 13, so there's time for him to grow into an excellent center for the Hawks with some viability on offense. Trading away a 2027 first-rounder that has some potential to be good is a worthy price considering they also get Agbaji in the deal to give them wing depth. Agbaji surged last season, turning into a solid player on offense. He has always been a solid defender, going back to his days on Utah, but his offense was atrocious. Last season, he shot 49.8% from the field and 39.9% from three on 4 attempts per game. He would be a valuable wing defender to use off the bench and comes at a low cost

Why the Hawks would not do this deal: That 2027 first could be a very excellent pick and this is an aggressive move for a player that is incredibly young and underdeveloped on offense. There's a lot of development that needs to be done in order for Maluach to merit this move.

Why the Raptors would do this deal: They slide back to #13 and are still in range for centers like Wolf, Queen and Beringer. However, the 2027 first-round pick is the real prize in this deal considering that the Bucks and Pelicans could both be in a rebuild by that point. Agbaji is a nice player, but there's very little chance that he'll be more than a bench player. Adding a potential pick upgrade to their draft capital is a great move for the future and center isn't an immediate need for the Raptors because they have Jakob Poetl under contract.

Why the Raptors would not do this deal: They have the chance to secure their center of the future and sliding back in the draft is inherently risky because the Suns are right after them and could take the backup option at center the Raptors are targeting.