Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

I think it’s not time to give up on this Hawks backcourt just yet. They are just a few pieces away from contending, and this rebuild aims to prove that.

Why the Jazz do this:

As a general manager, Danny Ainge typically wants to be at the top or at the bottom of the league. It will be nearly impossible for him to build a contender around this team, especially while maintaining chemistry, so his best option would be to extract maximum value from the Donovan Mitchell trade and move on from his All-Star starter.

This is a more than solid return for Markkanen and Olynyk. Multiple first round picks along with a potential All-Star in Saddiq Bey and a solid role player to flip in Bogdanovic, along with some other potential young roleplayers for their future.

Jazz lineup:

This trade would probably signal a Jazz move toward a rebuild, so I don’t think a lineup I would create would actually be accurate.

Why the Hawks do this:

The Hawks capitalize on all of their assets to acquire yet another young star. Markkanen brings yet another shooting big man alongside Gobert, and he can be the star wing that every championship contender needs. He finishes the Hawks’ All-Star team, with now every starter for them being an All-Star at some point in their careers. Markkanen is the third seven foot starter for the Hawks, creating a lineup that may be impossible for smaller teams to properly defend against.

Hawks lineup:

Stay tuned for the conclusion of the Hawks series to see the new-look Atlanta squad