Three-team trade draft allows Atlanta to send No. 1 pick to Portland for draft, Clint Capela to Detroit

The Atlanta Hawks found themselves with a ton of options to help rebuild their team after improbably winning the NBA draft lottery. The Hawks had just a 3% chance of winning the pick, but went from 10th place to controlling the entire draft.

Because this draft doesn’t have a clear No. 1 prospect, there has been speculation that Atlanta could trade the No. 1 pick. Whether it’s a trade in this draft or a trade for a veteran player, it’s possible Atlanta moves the pick, although it’s not in Hawks general manager Landry’s mind Fields at the moment:

“Not even our focus right now. For example…this is a time where the opportunity in front of us is great and it puts us in position. Positioning is key in this industry and that’s the position we have now, the No. 1 position. We’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing, come together as a group and we’ll figure this out in time.

If they were willing to trade the No. 1 pick, what could a potential trade look like? Dan Favale of Bleacher Report had an interesting proposition that involved not one, but two other teams in the Hawks deal:

The exchange

The Atlanta Hawks receive: Matisse Thybulle, No. 7, No. 14

The Detroit Pistons receive: Clint Capela

Portland Trail Blazers Receive: No. 1 pick, 2027 second-round pick (less favorable from Brooklyn and Dallas, via Detroit)

Why the Hawks are doing it

“Splitting the No. 1 pick into a mid-lottery selection, a late-lottery pick, and a defensive specialist doesn’t seem like a must-have at first glance. Watch it for a while, and, well, not much changes.

This is the challenge that awaits this draft. It’s so hard to understand what the Hawks would convey by prioritizing cost-controlled depth over the flashiness of each top five.

It’s a deal you make if you’re not sold to anyone at the top of your big board and are looking to juggle long-term roster management with immediate expectations.

Thybulle showed signs of career-best shooting from three this season before declining, and Atlanta needs any reliable perimeter defensive activity it can get. His assignments are smaller, which would create redundancies if Dejounte Murray stuck around. But he can move to bigger wings when asked, and the balance of his contract is team-friendly (two years, $22.6 million; player option 2025-26).

Banking two lottery picks would give the Hawks a pair of cost-controlled bodies to develop – a useful approach not only for their future, but for the present if they want to give this particular core one more chance or dig for a bigger name. acquisitions.

Why do pistons do it

Detroit can easily clear over $60 million in cap space this summer. Starting with a lackluster free agency class, that wiggle room can be better served by taking on semi-undesirable contracts from players who break his rotation.

Capela fits that bill. At $22.3 million, he’s not paid like a backup. But his contract will expire, so the financial difficulty would be temporary, if at all.

The Pistons could look to use him as a salary match in another trade at the February deadline, or they could end up enjoying his presence on the glass while finding use in the rim operation he can provide when They have enough space.

Why the Blazers are doing it

To save an amount of money that takes them out of the luxury tax territory they currently find themselves in.

Oh, yeah: And pairing Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe with Alex Sarr (probably).

Yes, Deandre Ayton is already on this list. It shouldn’t matter. Sarr is shaping up to be someone with more range in attack and mobility in defense. Even if he’s not the Blazers’ first pick, getting the No. 1 pick would allow them to go in any direction they please.

Offering a second lottery pick could be destabilizing when Portland is so early in its rebuild. Losing the pesky Thybulle defensive end would also be a big blow, especially when the roster remains light on the true wings.

Yet we’re talking about the #1 overall pick! This draft class may not make people swoon, but landing a tippy-top selection is never a bad thing. And if early impressions of this rookie class have the Blazers moving into No. 1 overall for an ultra-reasonable opportunity cost, they shouldn’t shy away from the risk-reward ratio. »

I’ll be honest, I’m not a fan of this trade for Atlanta. I think Alex Sarr fits perfectly into the team and would make the team better now and in the long run. The only reason the Hawks would want to make this deal would be because they don’t like anyone at the top of the draft and the guy they like the most, they might be able to get with the No. 7 pick. Could someone like Donovan Clingan or Matas Buzelis be there for Atlanta with the No. 7 pick? What about Ron Holland? I’m not saying there’s a zero percent chance they would do that, but it wouldn’t be a trade I would make. Thybulle is a good defensive player, but his offensive woes would make him nothing more than a rotation player for Atlanta.

There will be plenty of options on the table for Atlanta this offseason and the front office has a chance to remake this roster and move the franchise in the right direction.