The Hawks have rebuilding assets, but their picks currently belong to the Spurs. In order to change this, many trades have been created sending Trae Young to San Antonio. However, with the signing of Chris Paul, Young is no longer a position of need for the Spurs. Thus, a new solution must be found, and I think I’ve hit the spot here.
Why the Hawks do this:
The Hawks drafted Risacher first overall this year and already have star-potential guys like Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, etc. A Trae Young trade would almost certainly net more young guys. This team’s struggle, however, is their inability to create a bidding war for Young because the Spurs have the assets they want. This trade enables them to no longer force Young to San Antonio and instead frees them to send him to whoever has the best package. Additionally, the Hawks net solid roleplayers in Mitchell Robinson and Kenrich Williams, plus a young unproven wing in Ousmane Dieng.
Why the Knicks do this:
The Knicks send out Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson and in return acquire two players who fit like a glove in Lu Dort and Clint Capela. Capela is the ideal rebounding center for this team, while Dort is a top tier 3-and-D guy who will fit well anywhere. Aaron Wiggins is also a valuable role player, although he is mainly here for salary cap purposes.
Why the Spurs do this:
The Spurs send the Hawks two of their first rounders back, maintaining control of the 2026 swap. In exchange, they acquire two first rounders of their own, plus an NBA-ready backup point guard in Kolek and another first round rookie in Dillon Jones.
Why the Thunder do this:
The Thunder have been searching for a rebounding center and they acquired one this offseason in Isaiah Hartenstein, but Okongwu is a significantly cheaper option that enables OKC to use l-Hart’s contract as a trade chip. They also acquire All-Star forward Julius Randle, giving a little more size to their frontcourt and creating a very strong offensive triple threat alongside SGA and Jalen Williams.
What do you think of this deal? Looking forward to the discussion in the comments!