Crafting a Three-Team Trade Idea That Sends Derrick Jones Jr To Atlanta, Hawks Move On From Kispert

Could the new punishments forced on the Los Angeles Clippers result in an opportunistic situation for the Atlanta Hawks?

Nov 10, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. (5) moves the ball up court against the against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While the Atlanta Hawks are still trying to find their identity as a team vying to be a contender, they are in a far more enviable situation than the Los Angeles Clippers.

Per ESPN's Shams Charania, it was announced that the Clippers would be docked five first-round picks as a result of their cap circumvention scheme with Kawhi Leonard. While the details are not directly important to the Hawks like they are for other teams, it still represents an intriguing opportunity for Atlanta to take advantage of LA's sudden need for draft capital.

BREAKING: The NBA has ruled on the Los Angeles Clippers in for salary cap circumvention investigations on Kawhi Leonard after yearlong probe -- stripping the franchise of 5 first-round picks, issuing a $30 million fine to owner Steve Ballmer and suspensions for Ballmer, Lawrence… pic.twitter.com/JCV5bI88BE

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 2, 2026

Assuming that Leonard is still traded to Toronto, it leaves a massive talent gap for the Clippers to overcome. Rookie guard Keaton Wagler, the 5th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, might be able to offset some of that, but it's fairly unlikely that the trio of Brandon Ingram, Darius Garland and Wagler are going to be a playoff team this season. Therefore, it would make some sense for the Clippers to turn their expiring contracts into first-round draft capital or intriguing young players. Atlanta is in a position to offer both. However, including a third team in the deal to make the money work and put more assets on the table would make sense for both sides.

Fortunately, the Miami Heat are the perfect third team.

After trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Heat are firmly in win-now mode. They don't have time to develop players who don't obviously fit around Giannis and Bam. It's a timeline that doesn't bode well for someone like Nikola Jovic, who inked a contract extension with Miami prior to having a massive slump in his fourth season.

If the Hawks can figure out a way to upgrade their rotation at a reasonable cost, they should certainly pursue it. Specifically, the target that makes the most sense for them is Derrick Jones Jr. Given that the Hawks need to trim their roster down anyways, it would make sense to offload some of their depth players in exchange for a meaningful upgrade.

The Trade

Nov 10, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. (5) moves the ball against Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) during the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hawks Receive: Derrick Jones Jr, 2027 2nd-round pick (via LAC)

Heat Receive: Brook Lopez, Kris Dunn

Clippers Recieve: Corey Kispert, Mouhamed Gueye, Nikola Jovic, 2027 1st-round pick (via ATL), 2028 first-round pick swap (via MIA)

Why This Trade Would Happen

Derrick Jones Jr instantly improves Atlanta's defense - he had a STOP% of 3.2% last season (84th percentile) and averaged 1 block a game (98th percentile). He also took on some of the toughest defensive assignments amongst SFs, finishing the season with the ninth-toughest matchup diffiuculty rating at his position per CraftedNBA. A defensive trio of Lu Dort, Dyson Daniels and Jones Jr would be among the best in the NBA on the perimeter.

Giving up a first-round pick is a hefty price to swallow, but it becomes bearable upon realizing that the Hawks are also sending Kispert out in this transaction. Kispert struggled on both ends of the court for Atlanta and didn't play well in the limited run he got with Atlanta's starters. His contract extends for the next two seasons and it will be a waste of resources if the Hawks can't figure out a way to move it.

That's not a problem for the Clippers. Kispert fills in as another option for their wing rotation that currently features Max Strus and Rui Hachimura. Given that they don't have many young players at that spot, he's not blocking anyone and might be able to experience a mini-resurgence in a new situation. The more intriguing parts of this package is the first-round draft capital that the Clippers would be getting. They can turn the 2027 pick into future draft capital during the draft and still make a selection with one of their few remaining first-rounders. Mo Gueye and Jovic are interesting young options for their PF spot. Gueye was a very impactful defender in short spurts for the Hawks and Jovic earned his contract extension after averaging 10.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 45.6/37.1/82.8 shooting splits. If he can replicate that in Los Angeles, they'd quickly have an intriguing young squad to possibly challenge for a playoff spot next season.

The Heat's interest in this deal is obvious. Brook Lopez has pre-existing chemistry with Giannis from their time on the Bucks together and they're in need of a backup center with real rim protection chops to spell Bam. Lopez isn't what he once was, but he's still a 36% shooter from deep on real volume who averaged 1.2 blocks per game and saved 2.3 rim points per 100 possessions (86th percentile among centers). Dunn is one of the better guard defenders in the NBA and would form a strong pairing with Davion Mitchell to harass ball-handlers. He's also improved his shooting as he's coming off a year where he shot 37.4% from deep on limited volume.

Should The Hawks Do It?

If this deal was on the table for Atlanta, I would lean towards accepting it.

The Hawks are now at the stage in their roster build where they need to figure out the long-term solutions for their roster. By converting Kispert into Jones Jr, they'd open up significant future cap room and add another expiring contract to their books. That gives them a rare level of financial flexibility to bring back the players who can contribute to their future without having to find trades/waiving solutions for those who cannot. They can also trim the roster down ahead of the season and go into 2026-27 with a clear identity as a strong perimeter defense who can win with physicality and has tons of options for Jalen Johnson to utilize.

Giving up the 2027 first-rounder hurts, but it won't go to Atlanta anyways unless the Bucks finish outside the top four teams of the 2027 draft. Milwaukee doesn't seem to be very good this season and while the new lottery odds do make it possible for the Hawks to luck into the 5th overall selection, the 2027 draft isn't that strong. It'd make more sense to turn that pick into a player that can help now and also be part of their competitive window. Jones Jr is 29 years old and should have at least two or three more good seasons left.

However, I expect that Onsi Saleh will want to be conservative and hold on to those draft picks until it's absolutely necessary to use them in a significant trade. Using it in a trade for a veteran wing that improves on the margins while clearing future cap space doesn't quite fit with that.