Bleacher Report trade hypotheticals for Hawks’ No. 1 pick

The Hawks are going to be at the forefront of the NBA’s rumor mill this offseason because they’re expected to trade one of Trae Young or Dejounte Murray, and they also own the top pick in the draft.

Bleacher Report recently came out with trade package hypotheticals for Atlanta’s top pick, and I’m going to discuss a trio of ideas, starting with the one I dislike the most and finishing with the one I like the most.

Atlanta Hawks Receive: No. 4 pick, 2025 first-round pick (its own)
San Antonio Spurs Receive: No. 1 pick

The only reason the Hawks do this is if 1) they don’t believe there’s much separating the top five prospects and moving down three spots won’t impact their chances of landing their guy, and 2) they’re headed for a full-fledged rebuild.

There’s absolutely no reason to re-acquire their 2025 first-round pick unless they believe they’ll be in the lottery once again, which shouldn’t be the case if Dejounte Murray or Trae Young is kept. This isn’t a trade I like very much at all.

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Matisse Thybulle, No. 7, No. 14
Detroit Pistons Receive: Clint Capela
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: No. 1 pick, 2027 second-round pick (less favorable from Brooklyn and Dallas, via Detroit)

The Hawks gather a mid-lottery and late-lottery pick as well as a perimeter defender in Matisse Thybulle while shedding Clint Capela’s salary. With Thybulle, the hope is that he would be able to find that rhythm he found in Portland after the trade last season, which was 38.8%  and not what he did this season, 34.6% from beyond the arc.

The Hawks would get an elite defender with some potential to finally develop into a 3-and-D wing at a team-friendly price — two years, $22.6 million with a 2025-26 player option. It’s not exactly the most inspiring option among trade hypotheticals, though. I wouldn’t love this one either.

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith, Phoenix’s 2027 first-round pick, Memphis’ 2028 second-round pick
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Clint Capela, No. 1 pick

Out of these three from Bleacher Report, this is my favorite one, and it’s obvious why — Mikal Bridges.

This past year may have been a disappointment for Bridges and those who believed he could be an All-Star, given he ended the 2022-23 campaign averaging 26.1 points per game, but his game on both ends of the court dropped off significantly this season.

I couldn’t care less, though. Mikal Bridges is a great player that was in a crappy situation in Brooklyn. With the Hawks, he would only have to be Trae Young’s Robin, not Batman, like he’s expected to be with the Nets.