The Atlanta Hawks can go in several different directions during this offseason. They have $40.9 million dollars of wiggle room under the luxury tax threshold, which is enough to absorb a big trade for a star player or accumulate several contracts to build a more balanced roster. However, it isn’t an unlimited amount of money and they need to be prudent with how they choose to employ that flexibility.
A consistent theme that has been obvious throughout the playoffs is improving the “weak link” of the team. While the Hawks missed out on the playoffs, they can use that lesson to inform how they want to build their team in the future. Atlanta’s defense was its weakest point during the season and they need more players who can hold up on that end.
As a result, there are several possible options for them to pursue that would fit that need. However, there are several teams who are likely going to be in the market for a star player that can boost their overall ceiling. One of the most obvious candidates to be on the move is Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant. Despite being 36 years old, he averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists on 52.7/43/83.9% shooting splits and a TS% of 64.2%. However, the Suns are stuck in the second apron and will face harsh penalties if they can’t move out of it during this offseason. Durant’s has a $54.7 million dollar salary for next season before his deal expires. At 36 years old who turns 37 before the 2025-26 season, he is going to want an extension and the Suns missed the playoffs entirely. They aren’t a winning situation right now and they don’t have any of their own first-round picks until 2032. Phoenix already tried to trade him ahead of the deadline in February and they have more flexibility to get a deal done this offseason.
Conversley, Detroit has tons of salary cap flexibility and control over most of their first round picks. They can easily put together a package to acquire Durant if they want to. However, a third team might be helpful in order to help them make more room for Durant’s massive salary. The Hawks could be that third team.
If the Pistons made a move for Durant, what would the trade look like? Here’s a possible framework that includes the Hawks as a third team.
Atlanta Hawks get: Simone Fontecchio
Detroit Pistons get: Kevin Durant, Cody Martin, 2027 2nd round pick (from CLE, via ATL), 2029 2nd round pick (from CLE, via ATL)
Phoenix Suns get:Â Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart, 2027 1st round pick (via DET), 2029 1st round pick (top-8 protected, via DET)
Why Atlanta Might Do This Trade: Even though Fontecchio hasn’t been a factor for the Pistons in their first-round series against the New York Knicks, there’s reason to believe he could be a much better player in Atlanta. When he first arrived in Detroit, he looked like a steal of an acquisition. In the 16 games he played for the Pistons, he scored 15.4 points per game to go with 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 47.9/42.6/84.6% shooting splits. However, he hasn’t played anywhere near to that level this season, only connecting on 33.5% of his threes and falling out of the rotation. Fontecchio was also a good shooter with the Utah Jazz last season, hence why the Pistons acquired him at the deadline. While he isn’t a standout defender, he’s 6’7 with enough mobility to compete on that end. At his best, he is not a player that the opposing offense will be able to target, which cannot be said for players like Georges Niang. He did get toe surgery before the season and it’s possible the combination of recovering from that procedure and not adjusting to J.B Bickerstaff’s scheme contributed towards his decline in production. Importantly, his down season in Detroit means that the price to acquire him will be miniscule and the Hawks should take advantage. Fontecchio fits the exact archetype of player that thrives with Trae Young – a 3&D wing who can step into catch-and-shoot threes with confidence.
Why Atlanta Might Not Do This Trade: Admittedly, there isn’t a very large sample size of production to draw from in Fontecchio’s career. He’s only played three seasons in the NBA and he’s already 29 years old. If this is the player he is now, this acquistion could be a big mistake for Atlanta. While the healthy version of Fontecchio is worth far more than his $8.3 million dollar salary, the version currently with the Pistons is not.
Why the Pistons Might Do This Trade: Tobias Harris may have been a positive for the Pistons this season, but there’s still a massive gap between him and Kevin Durant despite Durant being four years older. Durant pairs extremely well with point guards who can create their own shot and Cade Cunningham is exactly that. Detroit got great shooting seasons out of Tim Hardaway Jr and Malik Beasley, but they need more shooting that definitively translates to the playoffs if they want to compete at higher levels of the postseason. Durant also provides rim protection in conjunction with Jalen Duren and it allows the Pistons to carve out a bigger role for Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland given their shooting limitations.
Why the Pistons Might Not Do This Trade: They may want to give this roster another go before considering a big shake-up of a move like trading for Durant. Harris has acclimated himself well into the team’s culture and deserves another run with this core. Furthermore, giving up two first-round picks this early in their team-building process might be an ill-advised move because Durant is already approaching 37 years old. Even though his longevity is impressive, it’s fair to wonder if a massive decline is on the horizon for the future Hall of Famer.
Why The Suns Would Do This Trade: Quite frankly, any trade where the Suns can get a replacement for Durant, receive some first-round picks and drop into the first apron is a massive win for them. Harris has his limitations, but he’s still a fairly consistent three-point shooter (34.5%) on 3.6 attempts per game and provides a level of competency that the Suns sorely lack in the rest of their lineup outside of Devin Booker. He’s done all the little things on both ends of the court for the Pistons and he’s been a massive reason for their success. Phoenix also gets a viable starting center in Isaiah Stewart, who brings rebounding and rim protection to a Suns team in need of both. He can give the Suns stabiliity at the 5 in conjunction with Nick Richards.
Why the Suns Would Not Do This Trade: Swapping Durant for Harris is defenitely an offensive downgrade and Harris isn’t an elite defender to make up the decline in points. The Suns are probably not going to be able to fix their defense in one offseason, so adding enough scoring to re-create Durant in the aggregate might be one direction that they pursue. This deal doesn’t really give them a pathway towards doing so. Furthermore, they might prioritize deals that land them first-rounders in the 2025 and 2026 drafts rather than waiting for the 2027 draft, which is more of an unknown compared to the strength of both the 2025 and 2026 prospects.
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