New Blockbuster Three Team Trade Proposal Sends Cam Johnson to Atlanta, Picks and Other Assets to Brooklyn

At long last, the NBA Trade Deadline is here. All 30 teams in the NBA have until 3:00 p.m. ET today to make a deal or they will be waiting until the offseason to try and move players and draft picks around.

Players such as Clint Capela, Cody Zeller, Larry Nance Jr, and Bogdan Bogdanovic have been mentioned as trade possibilities, but will the Hawks move any of them? The team announced last week that star forward Jalen Johnson is going to miss the rest of the season and that is something that could potentially alter their plans at the deadline. Bogdanovic has been out for the Hawks and has been listed as "Not With Team". Both Capela and Nance are expiring deals. It feels like the Hawks are going to make a move, but what would that look like, and for who? Atlanta is 23-28 after their loss to the Spurs last night but they are still in a position to be in the playoffs (or the play-in tournament at minimum).

With Brandon Ingram, Jimmy Butler, and Kevin Durant off the board, Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson might be the top player available today, but the Nets asking price seems to be two first-round picks. Brooklyn is in the midst of a rebuild and could be active today when it comes to moving players such as Johnson or Nic Claxton. The Hawks were connected to Ingram in multiple reports throughout the past week, but now that he is headed to Toronto, could the Hawks look to Johnson? Here is one trade they could do to make that happen. Keep in mind, there have been no reports linking the Hawks to Johnson so far so this would come as a surprise if it did happen.

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 should do or will do. That is all.

Hawks Receive: Cam Johnson and Svi Mykhailiuk

Nets Receive: Clint Capela, Kobe Bufkin, Jordan Clarkson, 2025 1st round pick via ATL (From the Lakers), 2030 2nd round pick (Via ATL), and a 2031 2nd Round Pick (Via Atlanta)

Jazz Receive: De'Anthony Melton, Ziaire Williams, 2026 2nd round pick (via ATL), and a 2028 1st Round Pick

Why the Hawks do this trade: They land Johnson, who is arguably the top player on the market and just happens to be a pretty good fit on the team. For the rest of this season, Johnson would step into Jalen Johnson's spot in the lineup and give the Hawks a really good 3 and D player who is on a good contract for two more seasons. Johnson is shooting 49% from the field this season and 42% from three, averaging a career-high 19.3 PPG. Next season, a lineup of Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Cam Johnson, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu would be formidable if they could stay healthy. The Hawks could have as many as two first-round picks (unprotected Lakers pick + Top 12 protected pick from Kings), but with the Lakers acquiring Luka Doncic and Mark Williams in the past week, that pick does not look like it is going to be a high one. It might be worth moving off of it to land Johnson. Mykhailiuk is a good three-point shooter and would give the Hawks some needed spacing.

Why the Hawks don't do this: Johnson is a good player, but the Hawks may not want to pay the price to get him. They don't have a ton of draft assets (though they have improved in that area) and may not want to move one (or more) of their first round picks for him. Kobe Bufkin has been injured through his first two seasons in the NBA, but are the Hawks ready to move on from him already? Johnson will cost some actual assets and the Hawks might not be ready to deal any of them.

Why the Nets do this: They clear future money by moving Johnson, get a young guard to evaluate with Bufkin, and get another first round pick to add to their collection of assets. Moving Johnson also makes them worse and puts them in better position when it comes to the draft lottery and trying to land Duke star Cooper Flagg. Capela is an expiring deal and Clarkson gives them some scoring on a reasonable contract.

Why the Net's don't do this: Brooklyn has reportedly wanted two first round picks for Johnson, will one + Bufkin + the other expiring contracts be enough? It might not be. Johnson is a good player and is young and on a reasonable contract, the Nets won't move him unless it is a deal they like. He still fits on their timeline of rebuilding. The Lakers pick is likely to be in the 20's and Bufkin has been injured for most of NBA career so far.

Why the Jazz do this: Utah and Danny Ainge seem to be lurking as a third team any time there is a deal to be made. They would add more draft capital and clear money by moving Clarkson.

Why Utah does not do this trade: Utah may not want to add more 2nd round picks and may value Clarkson more than this.

The Hawks have not been linked to Cam Johnson, but it could be a natural pivot point after being connected to Brandon Ingram. There are less than five hours to the trade deadline and things should start moving quickly.

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 should do or will do. That is all.

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