The 2024 NBA offseason is at a standstill. Until training camp opens in nearly a month, things could remain quiet around the league unless an unexpected trade happens. With Lauri Markkanen re-signing with the Utah Jazz, there aren’t many big names left on the trade market. Could the Pelicans trade Brandon Ingram? Would the Bulls finally be able to trade Zach LaVine? Other players like Jerami Grant, Cam Johnson, and Dorian Finney-Smith have also been the subject of trade rumors.
The Atlanta Hawks and Denver Nuggets were two of the most interesting teams this offseason. Atlanta knew they needed to make roster changes after losing the NBA Play-In Tournament to the Chicago Bulls and they made some roster changes. They sent Dejounte Murray to New Orleans in exchange for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance, EJ Liddell, Cody Zeller and two first-round picks. They also selected French forward Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick, but the Hawks could still make some roster moves. Clint Capela, Nance and De’Andre Hunter have all been the subject of trade rumors.
Denver, on the other hand, is a bona fide NBA Finals contender, but their team is going to be a little different. For the second straight season, Denver has lost a key piece to their team. Last year it was Bruce Brown and this season it’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The only real addition Denver has made is the addition of former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook. There’s been a lot of talk about Denver wanting to escape the second-deck rule, but is this team deep enough? The only way they can add more players and potentially become a better team is by trading Michael Porter Jr., who has become an integral part of their franchise.
Could there be a potential move that makes sense for both teams?
It should be noted that this is simply a fun, speculative exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks should or will do. That’s all.
Here’s the deal.
Atlanta receives: Michael Porter Jr., Peyton Watson, Hunter Tyson and a top-eight protected first-round pick in 2031
Denver receives: Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter
Why Atlanta is making this deal: Porter Jr. is a talented player and could be a good fit next to Trae Young. Porter Jr. would bring size and scoring ability to the Hawks and could be a good fit next to a point guard like Trae Young (if they don’t trade him). Porter is a better shooter than Ingram but doesn’t do much in terms of creating for others, though that part of his game is hard to judge since he plays next to Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. He’s a good rebounder and has made strides on defense, though I wouldn’t go so far as to say he’s a huge plus in that regard. Porter Jr. is also signed for three more seasons and wouldn’t get an immediate extension. He would be an upgrade over Hunter and would be the starter while Risacher comes in. Watson and Tyson could become key backups. Atlanta remains under the luxury tax after the trade/
Why Atlanta is not doing this deal:Porter Jr. is a big money player and the Hawks may not want his contract on the books. While it seems like the Hawks want to get rid of Hunter’s contract, it’s cheaper than Porter Jr.’s. The Hawks just took Risacher with the first pick, will Porter Jr. hinder his development? Watson and Tyson are largely unproven players, though Watson is very intriguing. Bogdanovic is loved in Atlanta and they’ve shown no signs of wanting to trade him. Is Porter Jr. the player they’d do that for?
Why Denver is making this trade:As good as Porter Jr. is, he doesn’t bring defense to the team (although he has improved in that area). By terminating his contract and bringing in Hunter and Bogdanovic, the team would gain depth. Bogdanovic and Nikola Jokic know each other well from playing on the Serbian national team and would mesh well together. Hunter would provide solid defense and could continue to grow offensively by getting open spots since he plays with Jokic. If Hunter takes a big step forward (he’s still pretty young), this could seem like a very good deal.
Why Denver doesn’t make this trade: While I think it’s possible they move Porter Jr. to try to add depth, are they clearly better off with this trade? They’re not saving much money and Hunter is clearly a step down from Porter Jr. right now. Bogdanovic would be the prize in this trade and he could be worth it. Are the Nuggets willing to give up another first-round pick? They could be if it improves their chances of winning another title with Jokic.
I doubt this trade will go through, but both teams will be worth watching as the year progresses and leading up to the trade deadline.
