New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Idea Sends Robert Williams to Clippers, Blazers Get Bogdanovic, Hawks Add Center

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 second 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.

The Clippers have quietly positioned themselves to be one of the five most talented teams in the Western Conference next season. After narrowly losing in the first round to the Denver Nuggets, they added more pieces around the core of James Harden, Ivica Zubac and Kawhi Leonard. Bradley Beal and Chris Paul are both experienced backcourt pieces that can supplement the offense while an already-strong defense got a boost with the addition of seven-footer Brook Lopez to support Zubac. John Collins is an intriguing piece for LA to add as a lob threat and possible two-way impact. Even so, they could use some more front court depth considering how frequently Leonard gets injured.

With the addition of Beal, it might not be as important for the Clippers to have a piece like Bogdan Bogdanovic. He acclimated well to a rotation spot with the Clippers in the regular season, but Bogdanovic did not provide much impact in the playoffs. It may be more valuable for LA to swap his long-term contract out for an expiring deal that fits their more immediate needs in the frontcourt. One team that might be interested in taking on the Serbian sharpshooter is the Portland Trail Blazers. Williams has a long history of getting injured and they just spent a first-round pick on center Yang Hansen to complement Donovan Clingan.

So how about a trade where each of these teams 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: Duop Reath

Clippers Receive: Robert Williams, 2027 2nd round pick (via ATL, from POR)

Blazers Receive: Bogdan Bogdanovic, 2031 2nd round pick (via HOU/ATL)

Why the Hawks would do this deal: Despite trading for Kristaps Porzingis this offseason, Atlanta still needs to address a relative weakness at center. They don't have a lot of depth behind Onyeka Okongwu should someone get injured - Mo Gueye would naturally step into that role, but it's still not clear if he can handle that role. Even though Reath has his flaws on defense, he's a respectable shooter for a 5. He shot 35.9% from deep on 3.6 attempts per game and there's reason to believe he could fill in for a stint if Atlanta has the appropriate defenders around him.

Why the Hawks would not do this deal: Reath isn't much of a rim protector and there aren't many players on Atlanta's roster who can really provide secondary rim protection. There's a chance his defensive liabilties make him unplayable with the Hawks' roster.

Why the Clippers would do this deal: Robert Williams has a lengthy injury history, but there's no question that he makes an impact when he's on the court. He's a great rim protector and still has some of the explosiveness that made him a great lob threat. The Clippers already have three centers on the roster in Brook Lopez, John Collins and Ivica Zubac. However, both Lopez and Collins have the shooting to possibly play in double-big lineups. Williams would allow them to roll that look out consistently and keep another capable rim protector in reserve for them to throw at difficult center matchups like Alperen Sengun or Nikola Jokic.

Why the Clippers would not do this deal: Williams consistently has knee problems and it's affected his possible impact because he's very frequently not able to play. Giving up Bogdanovic for a player that might never take the court for LA is a risk they have to consider.

Why the Blazers would do this deal: Portland finished 26th in 3P% last season despite being 14th in attempts. That type of efficiency means that Bogdanovic's abilities as a floor spacer are much more vital in Portland than they would be in Los Angeles. Even though he started the season slowly, the veteran wing shot 42.7% from deep on 4.8 attempts a game after being acquired from the Hawks at the trade deadline. The Trail Blazers seem ready to be a potentially feisty team in the West with expected growth from Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan as well as whatever Yang Hansen can bring them. Portland has a strong perimeter defense - especially with the addition of Jrue Holiday - and should be able to insulate Bogdanovic's shortcomings on that end.

Why the Blazers would not do this deal: Bogdanovic would likely fill a sixth man role for the Blazers and they'd have to play him at SF to make the acquistion work. That might be a problem due to his defensive shortcomings - even though the Blazers have a great rim protector in Clingan, they may not be able to make up for Bogdanovic's declining athleticism.

More Atlanta Hawks News:

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New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Jonathan Kuminga To The Clippers, Bogdan Bogdanovic To The Warriors

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