Grade the Trade: The Nuggets get creative in bold proposed deal with Hawks
By Cal Durrett
Would the Hawks agree to the trade?
Both Young and Murray could be available this summer depending on the offers, even with the Hawks having the number one pick. That said, this trade might allow the Hawks to do a soft reboot, with them holding on to Young, adding Porter Jr., and trading Murray, Bogdanović, and Hunter while adding at least one first-round pick. They may even trade starting center Clint Capela and take big man Alexandre Sarr number one.
That would give the Hawks a chance to reset without fully discounting the possibility that they would rebuild by moving Young for assets. Adding Porter Jr. and giving him a larger role might allow him to thrive. Even if he plays at or slightly above his level this season, he will struggle to live up to the $113 million he is owed over the next three years.
Then again, Bogdanović and Hunter are owed at least $93 million and up to $110 million over the next three years. Therefore, swapping them for Porter Jr. wouldn't be a financial risk beyond his health, and even then, he played a career-high 81 games this season. Factor in receiving a first in addition to getting the best player in the deal and Atlanta just might do this swap. Especially since it could be the first in a domino of moves that would allow them to remake their roster.
Ultimately, the Hawks would consider the trade, though the Nuggets may actually be the bigger question mark. They may prefer to keep Porter Jr. and try to retain KCP but that might not be possible due to financial concerns, which may possibly lead to them making a deal like this one. Next, we'll see if Denver does the deal.