New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Malik Monk to Dallas, Hawks Add Frontcourt Help From Mavericks

Although the Dallas Mavericks made the surprising move to trade superstar guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, they seem to be on the upswing after getting the 1st overall pick in the 2025 draft. They will likely select Duke wing Cooper Flagg to pair with Anthony Davis and, eventually, Kyrie Irving to form a trio capable of competing in the Western Conference. However, the Mavericks will likely make some sort of move to address a big problem in their backcourt.

Last season, Irving tore his ACL and won't be ready to play until January 2026 at the earliest. Dallas has Brandon Williams as the only other point guard on the roster. Williams played well for the Mavericks last year, but it would be a big step up for him to be the unquestioned starter at that spot for a significant portion of the season. Add that to the fact that Dallas will need a significant scoring option to fill that role because of how well Irving was playing for them and it becomes significantly more difficult to figure out who will stand in for Kyrie next year.

Fortunately, the Sacramento Kings might be able to provide the answer to Dallas's issues. After they traded point guard De'Aaron Fox, shooting guard Malik Monk stepped into the role and wasn't able to smooth things over. His offense overlapped too much with Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan and he struggled to handle such a drastic change in responsibility. If Sacramento can get the right player in exchange for him, it should be possible to acquire Monk. It's an option the Mavericks certainly should consider because of their crowded frontcourt. At the current moment, they have PJ Washington, Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford all on the roster with Flagg also poised to come in. If they can turn some of that frontcourt depth into a solution to their Irving problem, that might help them stay afloat until Kyrie is able to return.

However, the Mavericks are barely under the first apron and don't have an abundance of cap space to get a deal done. Therefore, it might make sense to trade away multiple contracts to bring in a backcourt solution if those players would be better fits on other teams. The Hawks are an example of such a team. Atlanta has a ton of financial flexibility this summer, which they can use to address their needs at interior defense, front court depth, shooting, and maybe a backup lead guard/ball handler. NBA insider Marc Stein has already reported that Atlanta could also look to be facilitators this summer in the trade market due to their financial flexibility, depending on if the team brings back any of Caris LeVert, Clint Capela, or Larry Nance.

Given the needs of all three teams, what would a trade between them look like? Here is one possible framework for a deal.

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: Daniel Gafford, Olivier-Maxence Prosper

Sacramento Kings Receive: P.J Washington

Dallas Mavericks Receive: Malik Monk, Kobe Bufkin, Mo Gueye, 2025 1st round pick (via LAL, from ATL, #22), 2027 1st round pick (via SAS, from SAC)

Why the Hawks would do this deal: Atlanta already has their starting center in Onyeka Okongwu, but they could be even stronger at the 5 by adding Gafford as a complement. Gafford is used to working as a rim-runner in tandem with a talented playmaker and he'd occupy a similar role with Trae Young. 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. As seen in the Mavericks' run to the 2024 NBA Finals, he's maximized as part of a tandem and Atlanta will be able to deploy him as such. Surrounding Gafford with talented defenders in Dyson Daniels and Jalen Johnson should also help his rim protection numbers by minimizing the amount of blown assignments he needs to cover for. Okongwu played a very heavy workload because the Hawks did not have a reliable backup and taking some minutes off his plate will help him be more effective down the stretch. 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.

Why the Hawks would not do this deal: Gafford doesn't offer any of the five-out spacing that some of the best lineups in the NBA (Pacers, Thunder, Knicks, Celtics etc.) employ and that could be a problem because Okongwu isn't a knockdown shooter, either. He is also not an elite option in any one area of playing the 5, instead being competent at mostly everything. Furthermore, Atlanta would need to consider giving him a new contract after this season if he plays well, which could become very expensive for them.

Why the Kings would do this deal: Monk did not fit with LaVine and DeRozan, but adding Washington to their roster makes more sense due to his ability to form a strong defensive trio with Keon Ellis and Keegan Murray on the perimeter. The 6’6 wing averaged 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, shooting 38.1% from beyond the arc on 4.2 attempts per game. Washington is incredibly versatile on defense and he's only 27 years old, so he could play himself into a new contract. While giving up an unprotected first for Washington may seem aggressive, the 2027 first-rounder from San Antonio will likely depreciate in value with each season that the Spurs add more talent around Victor Wembanyama. Washington proved that he is not just a product of playing with Luka Doncic and considering they got torched on the perimeter in their play-in loss to the Mavericks, adding more help at that spot without sacrificing much on offense should be a highly attractive proposition.

Why the Kings would not do this deal: Trading an unprotected first-round pick, even if it isn't a native one, always carries some risk and they would need to figure out an extension for Washington if he plays well this season. There's also the question of how Washington would be deployed - starting him alongside Murray and Ellis forces one of LaVine or DeRozan to the bench. He can certainly be a sixth man, but Sacramento would likely derive the most impact from starting him even if the pathway to doing that is tricky.

Why the Mavericks would do this deal: Monk may not be the scorer or passer that Irving is, but he can do an adequate job of filling that role in an offense that is more complimentary of his skillset. He's a veteran guard with experience as an initiator on offense who can also slide into an off-ball role around more ball dominant players like Davis and possibly even Flagg. Once Irving returns, Monk can also slide into a sixth man role and would retain value in that case. Monk had a down shooting season last year (32.5% from deep on 6.6 attempts a night), but he posted career highs in PPG (17.2) and assists per game (5.6). Even if the Monk acquisition doesn't work out, Bufkin is a interesting development project who's shown signs of being a standout defender at the point guard spot. If he can stay healthy, that could be a long-term backcourt solution for the Mavericks. Gueye showed exciting defensive chops last season in Atlanta, posting a BLK% of 3.3% (87th percentile) and a STL% of 2.3% (96th percentile). He needs to cut down on fouls, but there's a chance he could develop into a nice backup big man who can slide in at either the 4 or 5 as a standout defender. The Mavs are also getting two first-round picks as a result of sending out Washington and Gafford, which helps due to them having limited draft capital, especially between 2027-2030. .

Why the Mavericks would not do this deal: Bufkin has not been able to see consistent time on the floor due to his injuries and Gueye still has limitations on offense. Furthermore, Monk isn't the most consistent shooter and never shot above 36% when he was with the Kings. If he isn't able to serve as a floor spacer, the Mavericks' offense could get very congested.

More Atlanta Hawks News:

Five Teams Emerge as Favorites to Land Kevin Durant, But "Several Wild-Card Suitors Have Made Inquiries"

New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends KD To Milwaukee To Team Up With Giannis, Hawks Add Depth

New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Trey Murphy to San Antonio, Hawks Acquire Jose Alvarado

2025 NBA Mock Draft: Latest Mock Gives Hawks "Best Fit" and "Best Value" For Both First Round Picks