The Atlanta Hawks have been active in the 2022 NBA offseason, but could they still make a play for Donovan Mitchell?
Donovan Mitchell's future as a player is still up in the air. A big part of it is because of how the Rudy Gobert trade set the table in terms of what star players are worth.
The Utah Jazz could keep Mitchell, but it seems more probable that they will trade him away. Eventually, people expect that the Jazz will start over with a plethora of young players and draft picks. Mitchell's skills seem to fit certain teams really well like maybe the New York Knicks, but recent reports claim that the Atlanta Hawks have also kept an eye on the talented shooting guard.
The Wizards, Raptors, Hornets, Kings, Heat and Hawks along with the Knicks have expressed interest in Donovan Mitchell, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/pF7eQgUkMB
ā Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 25, 2022
Having said that, the Hawks are not the most likely landing spot for Donovan Mitchell. This is mainly because the Hawks already have an explosive backcourt headlined by Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. In addition, they also have solid backups like Bogdan Bogdanovic, Aaron Holiday, and Lou Williams among others.
Would Mitchell be worth a big trade, though? The metrics generally say that he is.
Donovan Mitchell is a three-time All-Star, after all. He has averaged at least 20.0 points per game in each of his seasons after entering the NBA on top of 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest.
Mitchell is also just entering his prime. Before the season starts, he will turn 26 and enter the second year of a five-year, $163 million contract.
If the Hawks do want Mitchell that badly, what would it take to pry him from the Jazz?
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The perfect trade Hawks must offer Jazz for All-Star guard
Hawks Get: Donovan Mitchell, 2026 first round pick
Jazz Get: John Collins, De'Andre Hunter, 2023 first round pick, 2024 first round pick, 2026 first round pick
Thanks to the Gobert precedent, someone like Mitchell will fetch a hefty price tag on the trading block. He is also set to earn around $30.3 million next season.
If the Hawks really want to put Mitchell alongside Young and Murray, it would cost them a couple of key players and a few first round picks.
Maybe the biggest name who'll be packaged is marquee big man John Collins while up-and-coming De'Andre Hunter will also be an enticing addition. Of course, for a team like the Jazz, what they would really value are multiple first round picks. The Hawks should include at least three such picks in a possible trade package. On the flip side, the Jazz can also throw a first round pick Atlanta's way to make sure the Hawks won't suffer through consecutive years without any first-rounders.
On paper, this trade works, whether it's in terms of salary or picks.
In terms of immediate impact, the Hawks surely get stronger, while the Jazz will likely position themselves better to tank.
Spida out here breaking hoops š³ @spidadmitchell @Cbrickley603 pic.twitter.com/Gn9T5WfwsR
ā Overtime (@overtime) July 19, 2022
A backcourt trio composed of Trae Young, Dejounter Murray, and Donovan Mitchell would be very potent, but they would need some clever management.
All three are ball-dominant players, yet there is only one ball available. At worst, they could end up having a my-turn-your-turn arrangement, but at best, the Hawks' backcourt could rival no less than the Warriors' own backcourt. Keep in mind that the Dubs have Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins in their own backcourt. A Young-Murray-Mitchell combo would match that.
Remember, too, that in today's game, without at least three elite players, it would be exceedingly tough to win. For sure, Mitchell would give Atlanta an explosive three-headed monster, something they have never had in team history.
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