New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends LaMelo Ball to Toronto, Quickley and Barrett Land With Charlotte

Jan 12, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Precious Achiuwa (5) defends against Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) during the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

While there are still some notable restricted free agents out there, the NBA free agency period has settled down for now, and the landscape for the NBA is taking shape for next season. Even so, could there be a sneaky blockbuster trade that nobody sees coming late into the summer, much like the Karl-Anthony Towns trade to the Knicks last September?

After trading for Kristaps Porzingis and drafting Asa Newell, Atlanta reached a pair of huge free agent signings on the first day of the free agency period. The Hawks signed 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. Not only that, but they 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 a position to contend. One area they could still use some depth is at small forward, a third center. or another ball-handler. They have one roster spot remaining after signing last year's second-round pick Nikola Durisic to a standard contract and reportedly signing Magic forward Caleb Houstan to a one-year deal.

Charlotte has had an underrated offseason. Sure, they have not made any big time moves to try and propel themselves to the top of the East, but the franchise seems to have a direction and is piling up assets in their rebuilding phase. One name that has been speculated about as the next big star to be traded is LaMelo Ball. There is no denying Ball's talent, but his inability to stay on the court and his poor defense have led to questions about whether Ball is a high-level winning player in the NBA and if Charlotte should look to move him and build around Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel. It is not as far-fetched as you may think for the Hornets to make this move, but what is Ball's trade value around the league? That is an interesting question.

Toronto has had a quiet offseason. Early on, they were thrown around as darkhorse teams for Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Durant was dealt to Houston, and it does not appear that Giannis is going to be traded. Toronto re-signed center Jakob Poeltl to a new deal and is hoping that the addition of Brandon Ingram and healthier seasons from their other notable players will result in a return to the playoffs. However, Toronto has a lot of wing players, and the point guard spot is a relative unknown. Immanuel Quickley has flashed talent, but might not be worth his contract. Should Toronto look to upgrade at point guard?

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: Ochai Agbaji

Raptors Receive: LaMelo Ball, Grant Williams, and DaQuan Jeffries

Hornets Receive: Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, an unprotected 2026 1st round pick swap (via TOR), an unprotected 2027 1st round pick (via TOR), and an unprotected 2028 1st round pick swap (via TOR)

Mar 3, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett (9) shoots the ball as Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann (23) defends in the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Why the Hawks do this deal: Agbaji had a breakout season of sorts for the Raptors last season. He has always been known as a strong defender, but his three-point shooting took a huge leap last season. Agbaji shot a career-high 39.9% from three on an average of four attempts per game. The Hawks could buy now on Agbaji and have him round out the rest of the roster and give them another versatile defender.

Why the Hawks don't do this deal: If they don't believe that the shooting is real with Agbaji, then it might not be worth it, no matter how good a defender he is.

Why the Raptors do this deal: This gives the Raptors a potential star point guard, allowing Scottie Barnes to handle the ball less, which is a better role for him. Toronto has a lot of interesting talent, but none of it really fits together, and they could combine some of these assets to make a big move. A lineup of Ball, Barnes, Ingram, and Poeltl is very interesting in the Eastern Conference if they can stay healthy. The two pick swaps might not be costly if Charlotte remains one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference. It is a risky move, but this Raptors team seems directionless. Williams could be a great bench addition if he comes back from his injury and plays as he did previously in Charlotte.

Why the Raptors don't do this deal: A more reliable star could become available. If Toronto did this deal, it would have two players (Ball and Ingram) who are not reliable when it comes to on-court availability. There are still several roster questions after a move like this and there is no guarantee it makes them a playoff team

Why the Hornets do this deal: They get two starters and three draft picks to help them rebuild. Quickley has shown a lot of promise when on the court and Barrett is a really solid player. If things go bad in Toronto, the Hornets could have some really valuable picks to help them continue to build out their roster.

Why the Hornets don't do this deal: Quickley was hurt for much of last season and is not as good as Ball. If the Hornets don't improve as a team, the pick swaps might do nothing to help their team improve. Barrett is a very solid player, but has not been able to take another step. The Hornets floor might be higher with this move, but the ceiling could be considerably lower.