New Blockbuster Draft Day Trade Proposal Sees the Hawks Trade Up Into the Top Ten To Add Elite Sharpshooter

Could the Hawks make a surprising move into the top five of the 2025 NBA Draft in order to take a surprising player?

Mar 14, 2025; Nashville, TN, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Tre Johnson (20) drives into Tennessee Volunteers guard Jahmai Mashack (15) during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-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.

There's been a lot of buzz around the Hawks potentially moving up from #13 - 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."

While the need for a center is clear, it's possible that Atlanta may be making that move into the top of the draft in order to draft someone entirely different. One of the more interesting candidates to be an unconventional selection by the Hawks is Tre Johnson. Johnson slipped two spots down to the Pelicans at the seventh overall pick in recent mock drafts and it's possible that the Hawks could jump up to grab him without having to give up enough assets to get into the top five. The Pelicans just traded for Jordan Poole and adding Johnson to that mix would be an interesting choice considering that it may be difficult to find many minutes for him next year. Dejounte Murray is recovering from an Achilles injury and it's entirely possible that the Pelicans will be able to give Johnson a significant enough role that warrants a top-10 selection. However, if New Orleans can get future assets and possibly select a player that they like later in the draft, would they say yes if the package is intriguing enough?

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 NOP, #7)

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: 2025 1st-round pick (via ATL, #13), 2029 1st-round pick (top-8 protected, via ATL)

Mar 19, 2025; Dayton, OH, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Tre Johnson (20) high fives Xavier Musketeers head coach Sean Miller after making a three point basket in the second half at UD Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Why the Hawks would do this deal: Johnson is an elite shooter who also brings tons of size at 6'6 with a 6'10 wingspan. As an 18-year-old freshman, Johnson led his team in scoring and averaged 19.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists on 42.7/39.7/87.1 shooting splits. He's an excellent off-ball player who can make shots from a variety of different situations, which would fit in perfectly with Trae Young. While his defense is a work in progress, the Hawks could have a young complement to Dyson Daniels in their backcourt that could also take over the PG spot should Trae request a trade.

Why the Hawks would not do this deal: This would be a very aggressive trade up for Atlanta since they are giving up a far out future pick that could easily convey. Furthermore, trading up for Johnson is doubly rsiky because he isn't a good defender and needs time to grow on that end. That could result in a defensive catastrophe if he plays extended minutes with Trae.

Why the Pelicans would do this deal: The Pelicans are clearly headed for a rebuild and they'll need extensive draft capital if they want to make that happen. Adding a top-8 protected pick in 2029 that has a decent chance on conveying is a good start in that direction. They can still add a center with Wolf, Beringer or Queen that can pair with Yves Missi. Furthermore, they also having a shot at Murray-Boyles falling, which would give them a formidable defensive duo in Herb Jones and CMB. If they still want a guard, they would be well in range for guard Jase Richardson from MSU.

Why the Pelicans would not do this deal: This is a pretty steep drop for a team that only has three semi-established players on the roster (Jones, Trey Murphy III, Zion) and it's unclear exactly what the team is going to be getting from Murray. Poole can't shoulder the burden entirely on his own and taking a swing at #7 might be their best move for both this season and beyond.