The Atlanta Hawks will have a lot of decisions to make this summer. Things got even more interesting for the team after they surprised everyone at the beginning of the offseason by winning the NBA Draft Lottery with only a 3% chance. This added to the list of questions the Hawks will have to answer in the offseason. Atlanta will have to decide what to do with their backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, as well as the future of other players such as Clint Capela and De'Andre Hunter, who are rumored to be on the trade market. Atlanta's roster will likely be significantly changed by the time the new season begins in October.
There could be a lot of movement going on for the Hawks in the coming months, but who are the trade targets they'd like to see in return? New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram has often been mentioned as a potential Hawks target, but what about Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges? Bleacher Report's Greg Schwartz named the Nets forward a “dream” target for the Hawks this summer.
“The best path forward for the Hawks would be to split the Trae Young-Dejounte Murray duo, improve the team's overall defense and improve the future salary outlook for a team that missed the playoffs but is expected to be under the luxury tax this season.”
Trading either Young or Murray for Mikal Bridges would solve a lot of the team's issues. The 27-year-old Bridges is a top-tier wing defender who could help rebuild a Hawks defense that finished 27th overall last season. His ability to contain opposing wings and act as a secondary scorer makes him an ideal fit next to Young.
Bridges' contract (two years, $48.2 million) is one of the largest in the NBA. If the Hawks choose to move Young and keep Murray as their franchise point guard, Atlanta would pay Bridges and Murray a combined $48.8 million next season — less than what the Phoenix Suns' Bradley Beal makes alone.
Atlanta has a lot of talent on the roster, especially with the No. 1 overall pick coming in. But this team needs rebuilding, and adding a player like Bridges should put the Hawks back in the playoffs in 2025.”
I think Bridges is a perfect fit alongside Trae Young and Jalen Johnson, and the Hawks should try to trade for him if he becomes available, but as of now he isn't. The potential defense of Bridges, Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, and Alexandre Sarr (if the Hawks pick him first) would raise the ceiling for this team quite a bit.
But what about a Bridges trade? The Hawks burned through draft capital in the Murray trade two summers ago, and the Nets aren't going to get just Murray in a Bridges trade. If the Nets re-sign Nic Claxton, they probably won't want Clint Capela or Okongwu. They might also want De'Andre Hunter, or a young player like Kobe Bufkin or AJ Griffin. It would be a tough deal for the Hawks, and there are plenty of other players in the NBA they'd like to acquire if Bridges becomes available.
Would Atlanta have to include the No. 1 pick in any deal to acquire Bridges? Dan Favre of Bleacher Report offered an interesting suggestion regarding the Brooklyn Nets.
The deal
Atlanta Hawks receive: Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith, Phoenix's 2027 first-round pick, Memphis' 2028 second-round pick
Brooklyn Nets get: Clint Capela, first pick
Why would the Hawks do this?
“This package will propel Atlanta from a mid-major contender to a major team in the Eastern Conference while also replenishing their asset pool.
Bridges is one of the best bargains in the league for the next two years and should inject some good off-ball movement, secondary creation and defense into the rotation, allowing them to bounce back to All-NBA quality even after he's no longer the No. 1 offensive lineman. The addition of Finney-Smith would add another forward duo that doesn't demand the ball to Atlanta's arsenal. With him, Bridges, De'Andre Hunter, Onyeka Okongwu, Jalen Johnson and Murray (barring a trade), the Hawks could field a super-versatile combination.
Losing Capela would mean Atlanta would lose a true big man, but that's OK: rim-running rebounders are easier to estimate than wing depth, and while Okongwu isn't traditionally tall, he's more than capable of absorbing additional minutes as a workhorse big man.
Frankly, the core of Bridges, Murray, Johnson, Okongwu, DFS, Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Trae Young is awesome. The Hawks may be planning to cut costs and dismantle their backcourt in the offseason, but this return gives them the option to purely add rather than cut or retool. Phoenix's 2027 pick could also be appealing as both an actual selection and a trade asset.
Why does the Internet do this?
General manager Sean Marks doesn't seem like the kind of guy ready to lead the Nets into another rebuild, and that makes sense (to a degree): Brooklyn won't own a first-round pick until 2028, and another top-to-bottom rebuild is far from ideal.
Perhaps landing the No. 1 pick would be enough to change the mood of the team. Marks and Co. would have to believe that Alex Sarr, Zachary Lisacher, Nikola Topic or Reed Sheppard could be a solid foundation, but that's a warning for any team looking to acquire a higher pick.
This year's rookie roster makes that decision more difficult, but not impossible. Bridges won't be on a well-below-market contract forever. In fact, Brooklyn will be in pre-agency negotiations with an agent in a year's time unless he signs an extension.
Acquiring him for a cost-saving No. 1 pick, an expiring contract and the Suns' future first-round pick, who may be great but may not be spectacular, is a reasonable gamble for a team with no clear path out of its current mediocrity.
Including Capela here is almost an afterthought, especially if Brooklyn drafts Sarr. That's fine. He's in the final year of his contract and could be rerouted or serve as insurance against Nic Claxton increasing his price and leaving the team during free agency.”
I think this would be an attractive trade for the Hawks, but I'm not sure the Nets would. They've been reluctant to trade Bridges so far, and while the No. 1 pick is attractive, there are no clear top prospects in this draft. Still, I think the Hawks would want to trade Murray in this scenario and see what assets they can get in return for him.
I think Alex Sarr would be a great fit for the Hawks, but a return like this would show Young they are committed to winning and I think this is a team that can compete in the Eastern Conference.
But I'm not sure Brooklyn wants to do this unless they're really in love with their top draft prospects. Trading Bridges for Finney-Smith would signal Brooklyn is furthering its rebuild, but they don't have any picks of their own. Trading those two would put Brooklyn at a clear disadvantage, but if Brooklyn really likes their top prospects and doesn't want to give Bridges a lucrative extension, they could make a trade.
This is a possible trade proposition and one that would be appealing to Atlanta, but I don't think Brooklyn would go along with the deal.
It's shaping up to be a turbulent offseason in the NBA, with the Atlanta Hawks at the center of it all.
