Per Zach Lowe of ESPN, the Hawks have made Taurean Prince available for trade. Prince joins a lengthy list of Hawks players Travis Schlenk will be attempting to be move prior to February 7th’s trade deadline. Although, according to Lowe, Atlanta has yet to receive much traction on a potential deal because of their high asking price of a young player and a first-round pick in return.
The Atlanta Hawks trade Dewayne Dedmon and Taurean Prince to the Philadelphia 76ers for Markelle Fultz and their 2019 first-round pick
This would be quite a blockbuster, and it depends solely on how each team values Markelle Fultz. The estranged former #1 overall pick has had about the weirdest beginning to an NBA career that I can remember and could use a change of scenery. By coming to Atlanta, Fultz would have nearly zero pressure or expectations – way different than his current situation in Philadelphia. The Hawks are a rebuilding team with minutes to go around and are looking for creative to ways to add potential star talent.
The question remains whether the 76ers are seriously contemplating moving on from Fultz at such a low price. He’s not even two years removed from being the #1 overall pick and was recently diagnosed with a legitimate medical condition explaining the source of his issues. However, Philadelphia is interested in winning now and have a fantastic opportunity at making it to the NBA Finals.
Adding a wing player like Taurean Prince gives them a controllable 3-and-D option that can operate off the ball as the Sixers need. Dewayne Dedmon would be a vital rotational member of Philadelphia’s frontcourt, preventing there from being such a drop off when Joel Embiid leaves the game. Dedmon’s defense and rebounding along with his newly-added three-point shot makes him an ideal piece to a contending team.
This may be the least likely trade of the three because of the likelihood of the two teams agreeing on Markelle Fultz’s value at this point. But if the Sixers are at the stage where they are ready to move on from Fultz, they could do worse than adding Prince and Dedmon.
The Atlanta Hawks trade Taurean Prince to the Philadelphia 76ers for Justin Patton and their 2019 first-round pick
Same two teams, slightly different trade, and a more realistic one at that. The rumored asking price for Prince is a young player and a first-round pick. Patton was drafted 16th overall – before John Collins – in the 2017 draft. However, he has not panned out nearly as well as Collins has thus far.
Last year, Patton spent the majority of his time in the G-League, appearing in 38 games and averaging 12.3 points on 47.3% shooting from the field. He only played in one game and four minutes for the Timberwolves. The 76ers traded for him in the Jimmy Butler trade, but he has yet to return from a foot injury that he had surgery on almost six months ago. Per the Sixers coach Brett Brown, Patton could be ready to return in February.
This trade works for both sides, as it gives Philadelphia a piece they need to reach their goals now and compensates the Hawks well enough for the future. Patton could turn out to be a nobody, but at 21 years old, he could have the opportunity to blossom into the Hawks future center.
The Atlanta Hawks trade Taurean Prince to the Indiana Pacers for Ike Anigbogu and their 2019 first-round pick
With the loss of Victor Oladipo for the season, the Pacers need a lot of help if they want to be taken seriously during the playoffs this season. But beyond that, they will be thin on the wing following this year. Bojan Bogdonovich and Tyreke Evans are set to become free agents at the season’s end, so bringing in a young player like Prince – who still has a year left on his contract after this one – aids them not only this year but next year as well. Prince also fits in well age-wise with the Pacers timeline.
For the Hawks, Anigbogu is another center from the 2017 draft class that has spent the majority of his time in the G-League. He probably could have used another year in college, as he was the youngest player to come out in the draft, but he’s beginning to show signs of development in year two. In 27.2 minutes per game for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Anigbogu is averaging 11.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks. His explosive athleticism makes him a force around the rim, but he’s not a shooter at all right now. He would be an intriguing project for a team like Atlanta that could give him minutes at the NBA-level.