Hawks trade Kent Bazemore, DeAndre Bembry, the 19th pick and 30th pick to the Memphis Grizzlies for Chandler Parsons and the 4th overall pick
There is no disguising just how egregious Chandler Parsons contract has become in today’s NBA. A benefactor of the cap spike prior to the 2016 season, Parsons inked a gargantuan 4-year deal worth almost $95 million. With the cap failing to continue to rise like many teams expected, and Parsons play declining, it has since become one of the worst deals in the NBA.
With that being said, it comes as know surprise that the Grizzlies are shopping Parsons and even willing to include the 4th overall pick to get rid of his contract. Most teams are not going to be looking to take a near $50 million burden over the next two years, but the Hawks are in a little different position. Atlanta is focusing on three or four years down the road, and the possibility of having two top five picks in the loaded upcoming draft could speed up the process.
Aside from unloading Parsons’s contract, the Grizzlies acquire a former first-round pick in DeAndre Bembry and two more first-round picks in the upcoming draft. The kicker in this trade will be how the Grizzlies feel about Kent Bazemore. Bazemore had a solid year for the Hawks this past season, but still is not playing up to his contract and will be owed over $37 million himself in the last two years of his deal.
Hawks trade Dennis Schroder to Indiana for Cory Joseph, Al Jefferson and the 23rd overall pick
If Atlanta is looking to do this rebuild right it might just be best if they oblige to Dennis Schroder’s wishes and deal him to a team that is more ready to compete. The Pacers point guard situation for the future is wishy-washy at best, and they need to find a young guard to pair with the up-and-coming superstar Victor Oladipo. Schroder looks to have the ability to develop into Oladipo’s running mate, but his maturity and off the field issues certainly dampen his trade value.
The Hawks get two players in Cory Joseph and Al Jefferson on expiring contracts. Neither will be with the team for long, and could even be used as trade bait at next year’s trade deadline if they perform well. The real prize for Atlanta is another first-round pick. It may not be as high as many would like for a player like Schroder, but the reality is, Schroder’s off the court antics and relatively large contract make him a much harder trade than people think.
Hawks trade for Kenneth Faried and the 14th overall pick
I wrote a little while ago on how the Hawks should trade for Kenneth Faried and their draft pick, after it had been rumored that the Nuggets would part ways with the pick if a team would be willing to take on Faried’s contract. That rumor has only picked up more steam as the AJC’s Michael Cunningham reported that the Hawks could be interested in dealing for Faried “for the right price”.
Nuggets looking to deal Kenneth Faried and Hawks could be ‘willing to accommodate them for the right price,’ per @MCunninghamAJC https://t.co/paEKd0TWsi pic.twitter.com/HNOlozM1hX
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) June 14, 2018
This trade makes sense for both sides. Atlanta will not be competing this upcoming season so taking on the last year of Faried’s deal would do no harm, and in return, they would get yet another first-round draft pick. The Nuggets clear enough cap space to make a real run at some marquee free agents. They finished last season just a game outside of the playoffs, and with loads of talent like Gary Harris, Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap on the roster, Denver could be just a piece away from being really competitive out West.
Hawks trade the 3rd overall pick to the Orlando Magic for the 6th overall pick and an unprotected 2020 first-round pick
The Magic are just one of several teams that might offer enough for the Hawks to give up the third pick in the draft. Since the beginning of the process, Atlanta has not shown a lot of interest in European phenom Luka Doncic. While that may just be a smoke screen, their focus has been pinpointed more towards the wealth of front court talent coming out from the United States. If Doncic is available after the first two picks in the draft, the Hawks might start taking action on some of the offers they have been fielding. This is a very similar trade to the one Danny Ainge pulled off with the 76ers a year ago, trading back to select Jayson Tatum. Ainge clearly had a player in mind and knew he could get him later in the draft. If the Hawks feel the same way come draft day, they would be wise to follow in Ainge’s footsteps.