New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Daniel Gafford to Orlando, Mavs Add Jonathan Isaac

Could the Hawks land an interesting wing from the Mavericks as part of a bigger deal that sends Daniel Gafford to the Orlando Magic?

Nov 3, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) looks to move the ball past Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) during the first quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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.

Although they've had a relatively quiet summer outisde of signing D'Angelo Russell and getting Kyrie Irving back on a big extension, Dallas is also going to be an interesting team to watch next season. They made the most shocking trade in NBA history when they sent Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, and are in a win-now window, but that got complicated when Irving went down with an ACL tear. How will the Mavericks try to improve their roster while knowing that Irving likely won't be available to play next season? They got a huge unexpected boost when they won the NBA Draft lottery and got the right to draft Cooper Flagg, but the guard spot is still a huge question mark for Dallas.

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: Olivier-Maxence Prosper, 2030 2nd round pick (via PHI, from DAL)

Orlando Magic Receive: Daniel Gafford, Dante Exum

Dallas Mavericks Receive: Jonathan Isaac, Vit Krejci, 2026 2nd round pick (via DET/MIL, from ORL), 2027 2nd round pick (via BOS, from ORL), 2028 2nd round pick (via ORL)

Why the Hawks would do this deal: Prosper fits with the young core of wings Atlanta is developing as an athletic project who could be refined into a rotation-quality wing after some time in College Park. His offensive game is a complete work in progress, but he posted a STL% of 1.8% on limited minutes (78th percentile). Even though the Hawks have a lot of wings they are trying to develop, they are searching for a reliable backup for Jalen Johnson and it's possible Prosper could turn into that with time.

Why the Hawks would not do this deal: Swapping out Krejci for Prosper comes with significant risk because Krejci's shooting is clearly an NBA skill and it's unclear whether Prosper can be a contributing NBA player at this stage of his career.

Why the Magic would do this deal: Even though Isaac is a very talented defender, he gets hurt very frequently and he's a complete liability on offense because he's reliant on other players to set him up. Gafford is durable, complements Orlando on both sides of the floor and is on a relatively affordable contract that extends throughout the rest of Orlando's contention window. He's an excellent finisher inside the paint, hitting 72% of his attempts at the rim (84th percentile relative to position), and grabbed 13.6% of available offensive rebounds last season (90th percentile relative to position). On defense, he finished last season with a stellar BLK% of 3.9% (96th percentile relative to position) and holds his own against most bigs. Gafford is at his best when he's part of a rotation and the Magic can rotate him in with Carter, Bitazde or Wagner to keep everyone fresh. He can quickly acclimatize to Orlando's offense as a roll man for Desmond Bane or Paolo Banchero while also protecting the rim and complementing the size Orlando has in their lineup. Exum has shot above 40% from deep (albeit on limited volume) for two straight seasons, can run the offense and gives the Magic badly-needed backcourt depth. He has postseason experience and can keep Jalen Suggs fresh during the regular season.

Why the Magic would not do this deal: Gafford isn't elite on either side and Isaac is one of the most versatile defenders in the NBA because he has the athleticism and length to guard 1-5. Furthermore, he's an upgraded version of what they already have in Bitazde and Isaac - it's possible the Magic might prioritize adding someone who can actually space the floor at center if they consider any further moves at the 5.

Why the Mavericks would do this deal: Any defense helmed by Isaac, Anthony Davis and Cooper Flagg instantly becomes one of the NBA's best. Although Isaac's limited offensive game and injury history make him a difficult player to roster on a contender, his defense is still very useful. He's arguably the best shot-blockers across all forwards, turning in a 100th-percentile level BLK% of 4.1% last season while also posting an elite STL% of 2.4% last year. As a rebounder, he was one of the best offensive rebounders last season across all forwards with a OREB% of 10.3% while also grabbing 18.3% of missed FGs from opponents, a 96th-percentile level figure. He can play either PF or center, guards 1-5 and gives the Mavericks a chance at being an elite defense that fits into general manager Nico Harrison's stated vision for the team. Krejci isn't a household name, but he shot over 40% from three for the second straight season, going for a career-high 43.7% this season on an average of 3.6 attempts per game. In fact, Krejci ranked in the 92nd percentile in three-point accuracy perCleaning the Glass. He was a deadly accurate shooter and can take some minutes at SG until Irving returns from injury. Upon Irving's return, he can slide into a more comfortable SF role and give Dallas some additional depth.

Why the Mavericks would not do this deal: Outside of the aforementioned injury history and limited offensive skillset of Isaac, he doesn't address their massive need in the backcourt and the Mavericks desperately need help there. They are also losing a starting center in Gafford without netting a first-round pick in return.