Three Targets That The Hawks Should Prioritize Instead Of Jaylen Brown

The Hawks have been strongly linked to Jaylen Brown, but there are better options for them to pursue that would address their biggest weaknesses last season.

Mar 30, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) dribbles against Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) in the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images | Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

There have been a lot of rumors that are linking the Atlanta Hawks and Jaylen Brown. Specifically, NBA insider Marc Stein had this to say about the possibility of Atlanta acquiring Brown as part of a larger deal that sends Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Boston Celtics.

"Does Atlanta or Portland want to be the third team that joins the party to acquire Jaylen Brown and help facilitate a trade that makes Antetokounmpo a Celtic? The closest thing to a certainty, as of publication time on this Sunday, is that we're nearing clarity."

In my opinion, this would be the wrong move for Atlanta to make. The assets it would take to acquire Brown and the subsequent cap space that the Celtics' star would take up is not in line with what he might bring to the Hawks. With that being said, what are the alternatives for the Hawks?

None of these players are individually on the level of Jaylen Brown. However, they might be able to get the Hawks towards a similar ceiling without sacrificing the same level of assets/cap space. If the Hawks want to go star hunting this offseason, there's a way to do it without being irresponsible.

Here are some players that might fit into that.

Isaiah Hartenstein - C, Oklahoma City Thunder

Feb 28, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) in action against the Atlanta Hawks in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Obviously, this hinges on what Oklahoma City decides to do with his $28.5 million team option, but if they were to decline it or pick it up and trade him, Atlanta should be sprinting to the front of the line to acquire Hartenstein.

Hartenstein has made sense for a while as a possible addition to the Hawks. Even though he only played in 47 games last season and doesn't have the flashiest stats, he has been critical to the Thunder in both the regular season and the playoffs.

Hartenstein made the best team in the NBA by net rating better by 4.1 points when he was on the court for 1022 minutes. He's coming off the best offensive rebounding season of his career (career-best OREB% of 14.8%) and shot an excellent 76.8% around the rim.

Furthermore, he's not just a typical rim-runner. Hartenstein is an underrated passer for a seven-footer and averaged 5.3 assists per 75 minutes (96th percentile among all centers). He can also guard the rim pretty well - he saved 2.2 rim points per 100 possessions (83rd percentile among all centers).

He's already shown that he can play next to a floor-spacing big like Chet Holmgren, and the Thunder do need to unload some contracts if they want to duck below the salary cap apron this summer.

It'd be really fun to see how Hartenstein might bring out the best in Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu by covering up for the areas in which they may be overtaxed in their current roles. He's also a great screen-setter, which frees up more looks for Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

Trey Murphy III - SF, New Orleans Pelicans

Dec 2, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) drives to the basket against the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

If the Hawks really want to go star hunting, it would be much better to go after Trey Murphy III than Jaylen Brown. Murphy is one of the most intriguing trade candidates because the Pelicans aren't progressing as a team and they have finally shown a desire to listen to offers for him per Marc Stein.

Stein's recent report had this to say:

"This is the first time their new front office regime headed by Joe Dumars has been truly willing to field offers for Murphy."

It would be a steep ask, but the possible upside of adding Murphy to this young core is sky-high. He's essentially the best version of Zaccharie Risacher. Murphy is coming off a season where he averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists on 47/37.9/88.6 shooting splits.

He is an absolutely lethal shooter from all areas of the court and would provide elite spacing for the Hawks. He can also handle the ball at an above-average level - he had a career-high AST% of 16.2% while reducing his TOV% to 9.4%.

Murphy isn't necessarily an elite defender, but he's pretty solid and he's incredibly versatile. Murphy is capable of guarding both guards and forwards with equal success and that's extremely difficult to find in the modern NBA.

Furthermore, Atlanta would probably get a more motivated version of him on defense if he's in a winning situation. Having Murphy and Daniels as the two perimeter stoppers gives the Hawks a very versatile defense that they haven't had in a long time.

It'll be expensive to get him, but Murphy is at least on a cheap deal that runs through the 2028-29 season. He won't eclipse 20% of the salary cap throughout his entire contract while Jaylen Brown will take up 34.6% of the cap next season.

Walker Kessler - C, Utah Jazz

Jan 7, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) blocks the shot of Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

It's a recent development, but Walker Kessler may not be very content with the Jazz right now. Per Sam Amick of The Athletic, the center is unhappy with how the negotiations are going with Utah in restricted free agency. Amick had this to say on the situation:

"Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler is at odds with the team’s front office over the current handling of his restricted free agency. Kessler....was already known to be frustrated by Utah’s choice not to offer him an extension last summer. And now, with the Jazz choosing to leverage the realities of restricted free agency against him as a way to minimize his market, sources say he is strongly considering the prospect of a basketball future outside Utah."

In the same article, Amick notes that the Hawks were one of the teams that made a significant push to acquire him in the past. This could be an unexpected opportunity for Atlanta to complete their starting lineup by attempting to get Kessler on a sign-and-trade, just as they did with Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

Kessler is a pretty simple center to evaluate - he grabs boards and blocks shots. Since he only played in five games last season, it's more useful to grade him on his 2024-25 season. During that year, he led the league in OREB% with 16.6%.

Those aren't just situations where he's grabbing his own misses - Kessler grabbed an outstanding 15.8% of his teammates' misses (96th percentile for all centers). He's grown into a great rim protector, posting a BLK% of 5.6% in 2024-25 and ranking in the 94th percentile for rim points saved per 100 possessions (2.5 points).

He has some issues with fouling and there's some injury concerns, but Kessler would be a great partner for Onyeka Okongwu because he allows the Hawks to go five-out without losing anything on defense. Much like Hartenstein, the former Woodward Academy standout would be able to serve as a weapon for Atlanta's guards and free them up on screens.

Because he is a restricted free agent, it will be really tough to pull Kessler out of Utah, but it might be worth a shot for the Hawks to at least put an offer sheet out there.