The Atlanta Hawks are arguably the team to watch this summer, with teams ready to pounce should they decide to hold a fire sale. That could include moving one of their star backcourt players. On the other hand, the New Orleans Pelicans were recently swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder without their best player, leading to questions about the direction of their team.
With both teams entering the offseason with a lot of questions, they could make sense as trade partners. Bird-related nicknames aside, Atlanta and New Orleans can help each other in theory with a blockbuster offseason trade that could radically alter both teams going forward. The Hawks could trade either one of their best players for picks to try and help them retool their roster on the fly.
As for the Pelicans, they may break up their promising core to create a better-fitting roster that could help them become a contender for years to come in a crowded Western Conference. With that being said, next we will take a look at a hypothetical major deal between the Pelicans and the Hawks and see whether either or both teams would agree to the trade.