The offseason is here for 25 teams in the NBA. The conference semifinals are almost over and there are only five teams left alive with hopes of making it to the ultimate goal of winning a championship, but that number is about to be cut down to four after Oklahoma City and Denver play game seven tomorrow. Heading into this offseason, the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, and Dallas Mavericks are all searching for the next steps to take as a franchise, which is different for all three.
Atlanta is going to be a team worth watching. Most will point to a potential Trae Young trade, but that does not appear likely (for now) and Atlanta may move forward with this core of Young, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu. If the Hawks decide to do that, they need to improve their bench in a big way this offseason. Due to the NBA’s CBA and apron rules, you are going to be seeing a lot more three-team trades between teams so salaries can move around. Atlanta could try to attach themselves to a big deal and add some pieces to their bench if they opt to move forward with this starting five. The Hawks need interior defense, frontcourt depth, shooting, and maybe a backup lead guard/ball handler. This is not a great free agent class to be filling those needs, so could the Hawks look to the trade market?
Dallas is also going to be an interesting team to watch. They made the most shocking trade in NBA history when they sent Doncic to the Lakers and are in a win-now window, but that got complicated when Kyrie Irving went down with an ACL tear. How will the Mavericks try to improve their roster while knowing that Irving likely won’t be available to play next season? They got a huge unexpected boost when they won the NBA Draft lottery and got the right to draft Cooper Flagg, but the guard spot is a huge question mark still for Dallas.
Chicago remains stuck in the middle. They are good enough to make the NBA Play-In Tournament but are not true contenders. They have interesting decisions to make regarding the futures of Josh Giddey and Coby White. Giddey is going to be a restricted free agent and could command a big payday given how he played toward the end of the season, plus the Bulls traded for him last summer. White is entering the last year of his contract and could also be in line for a solid payday. Is it smart for the Bulls to pay them both given the defensive limitations they have when they share the court? Could they look to move one and keep the other?
So how about a trade where each of these teams tries to fill a need?
It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks or any other teams should do or will do. That is all.
Atlanta Receives: Naji Marshall
Dallas Receives: Coby White, 2027 2nd round pick (From ATL, via CLE), and a 2029 2nd Round Pick (From ATL, Via CLE)
Chicago Receives: Jaden Hardy, Kobe Bufkin, and a 2031 Top Eight Protected 1st Round Pick (Via Dallas)
Why Atlanta does this deal: Marshall is the kind of player that the Hawks need. He is a good wing defender on a very good contract. While he only shot 27% from three last season, Marshall would be a 3-D player for Atlanta who is looking to build a deeper bench. His versatility could have him play the three or the four. The Hawks drafted Bufkin to be a key piece, but he has not been able to stay healthy in his two seasons and Atlanta might be ready to move on to find more stable bench help.
Why Atlanta does not do this deal: They do not value Marshall and don’t want to give up two second round picks, plus a young player in Bufkin.
Why Dallas does this deal: With Irving likely out for the year, Dallas is going to need to figure out the point guard position for the upcoming season, but also for the longterm because Irving is not a young player anymore and there is no telling how he will perform when he comes back. While White is not a strong defender, Dallas can protect him with their length, size, and athleticism of Flagg, Davis, and Lively. White is coming off of a season in which he averaged a career high 20.4 PPG on 45/37/90 shooting splits. He could operate off and on the ball and give the Mavs a scoring threat at guard they don’t currently have and he could pair with Flagg and Lively even when Davis and Irving retire or move on.
Why Dallas does not do this deal: They find other options at point guard and ones that might be more of the two-way variety. Mavs GM Nico Harrison famously said one of the reasons they traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers was because defense wins championships. White is just as bad, if not worse, of a defender than Doncic so he might not be the best fit.
Why Chicago does this deal: They get a future first round pick that is likely to convey, they avoid paying both Giddey and White and getting stuck with both contracts, and they get two young guard prospects in Hardy and Bufkin who could pair nicely with Giddey or help off the bench
Why Chicago does not do this deal: They want more in return for White. If they trade White this offseason, his market is not clear and the asking price is not either, but this might not be enough for the Bulls.