Welcome to draft day.
Today marks the 1st round of the NBA Draft and there promises to be plenty of craziness tonight. Last night, Mikal Bridges was traded to the New York Knicks in a major blockbuster deal and more could be on the way tonight.
The Atlanta Hawks have been on the clock since the day of their shocking NBA Draft Lottery win, there has been endless speculation about what exactly the Hawks are going to do tomorrow. The three names most prominently mentioned have been French prospects Alex Sarr andZaccharie Risacher as well as UConn center Donovan Clingan. There has also been plenty of speculation over whether the Hawks could trade this pick, with the San Antonio Spurs being the team linked the most to trading up. While this draft has been knocked for not having any superstar prospect, there is still the potential for a wild night due to a lot of uncertainty. Right now most seem to think that Atlanta will stay at No. 1 and take Risacher.
But what if they don't and actually do pull off a draft night trade? While it might be unlikely, it is not impossible. While the San Antonio Spurs have been mentioned the most as a draft night trade partner, could there be someone else? Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes has a hypothetical trade that he released yesterday that sends not only the No. 1 pick to Detroit but also guard Dejounte Murray.
Detroit Pistons Acquire: Dejounte Murray, No. 1 pick in 2024 draft
Atlanta Hawks Acquire: Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, No. 5 pick in 2024 draft, 2027 second-round pick, 2028 second-round pick (via NYK)
"Alex Sarr might not go first overall, but it's difficult to imagine him sliding all the way to the Pistons at No. 5. His scheme-versatile defense, tantalizing upside as a floor-spacing 5 and potential ability to generate his own looks in isolation make him a fascinating fit for a Pistons team that hasn't yet found the ideal frontcourt counterpart for Cade Cunningham.
Duren, who'd head to Atlanta in this deal with disappointing guard Jaden Ivey, hasn't shown much facility for self-creation or excelled on defense. However, both of the Pistons going to the Hawks in this trade are young enough to take multiple leaps, which would put Detroit in the risky position of badly losing the deal.
Murray is the certainty here—he's a quality sub-All-Star guard who'd fit better next to Cunningham than Ivey ever did. If the Hawks don't see a huge difference between the No. 1 and No. 5 picks, a return of Ivey, Duren and a pair of second-rounders might be just enough to get them to part with Murray. Those two were recent lottery picks, which isn't quite the same thing as getting actual first-rounders. But it's close.
It'd likely make the Pistons pause, but Atlanta could also insist on the inclusion of an additional future first-rounder or Ausar Thompson. Detroit should be more willing to consider the former than the latter."
This is not a trade that I like for the Hawks. I think they could get more than this for Murray and the No. 1 pick. If the Hawks trade down to No. 5, the target would probably be UConn center Donovan Clingan, which makes getting Jalen Duren back not ideal, especially with Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu still on the roster. Ivey has been an inconsistent player in his career and I would be unsure about his future role on the Hawks and where he fits in. If I were Atlanta, I would want Ausar Thompson in this trade to make me consider it, but even still, I probably would not do this.
This would be a move Detroit makes to try and win more games next year. You get Murray on a good contract and pair him with Cade Cunningham, plus you move up for I presume Alex Sarr or Zaccharie Risacher, someone they could not get if they stuck at No. 5. This trade would be a win for Detroit, not so much for Atlanta.
At the end of the day, it does not sound like the Hawks are going to move the pick and will likely stick at No. 1 and take either Risacher or Clingan. Be prepared for the unexpected though.
