Could a three-team deal between the Atlanta Hawks, Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls that clears up the backcourt logjam in Chicago come to fruition this summer?
For the past seven seasons, the Atlanta Hawks have always known who their point guard is. Trae Young has consistently been at the center of the Hawks’ offense, using his special touch as a passer and scoring ability to carry the team on his shoulders. Last season was one of his best efforts. He led the league in assists per game by dishing out 11.6 per night and earned his fourth All-Star nod by averaging 24.2 points a night across 76 games. Questions remain over whether the Hawks can actually make the Finals with him as their best player, but there’s little to doubt when it comes to his presence in the lineup. He is one of the most impressive playmakers in basketball and consistently shoulders an incredible burden for the Hawks.
However, that workload comes at a price. Even though he still played 76 games, Young had to deal with lingering Achilles tendinitis for the whole season. It likely played a role in him finishing with a career-worst 41.1% from the field. Part of Young’s heavy workload stemmed from the fact that Jalen Johnson missed half the season, but it is also the result of the Hawks not having a reliable backup point guard. Kobe Bufkin missed the entire season and players like Keaton Wallace and Vit Krejci never definitively took control of that spot in Atlanta’s lineup. Therefore, adding another ball-handler to take some pressure off of Young would be a smart idea for the Hawks to look into this offseason.
The Chicago Bulls don’t have a guard with the skill of Young, but they do have a very full backcourt. Josh Giddey, Lonzo Ball, Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White are all capable of being starting guards in the NBA. It makes little sense for them to be on the same roster and it would be very surprising if the Bulls went into another season with such a crowded backcourt. Plenty of teams could use another ball-handler and Chicago needs more draft picks to aid in their rebuild.
One team that could really use an impactful addition in its backcourt is the Utah Jazz. Keyonte George has been better as an off-ball scorer and Isaiah Collier has potential as a playmaker, but there are still a lot of questions about both players. Adding a young piece into their backcourt with more experience might make sense for Utah as they look to be a more respectable team in 2025. They also need to move on from veterans like John Collins and Collin Sexton because neither are a fit for their rebuild and would be better utilized on new teams.
Given the needs of all three teams, what would a trade between them look like? Here is one possible framework.
It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks or any other teams should do or will do. That is all.
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Lonzo Ball
Chicago Bulls Receive: John Collins, Kobe Bufkin, 2025 1st round pick (via MIN, from UTA), 2027 2nd round pick (via CLE, from ATL), 2031 2nd round pick (via ATL)
Utah Jazz Receive: Patrick Williams, Ayo Dosunmu, 2028 2nd round pick (via CHI), 2031 2nd round pick (via CHI)
Why the Hawks would do this trade: The best version of Lonzo Ball is a player that would help the Hawks’ defense and fill their need for another ball-handler to take pressure off of Trae Young. He’s 6’6 and consistently shot well from deep for the last four seasons of his career, which means he can survive in a variety of different lineups. When he returned from injury last season, he posted a 96th percentile assist:usage ratio of 1:12 and a 86th percentile AST% of 18.6%. On defense, he posted an elite STL% of 2.5%, good for a 96th percentile ranking last season. He would fit in very well next to Dyson Daniels as a defensive backcourt, which makes Atlanta’s defense much stronger and alleviates some of the defensive issues posed by having Trae Young in the lineup.
Why the Hawks would not do this trade: The biggest question with Ball is his health. In the 32 games he played this season, he played 22.2 minutes per game. That’s a solid mark, but he just can’t be counted on for a big role considering his injuries. It limits how much Atlanta stands to gain from the move.
Why the Bulls would do this trade: They clear up two spots in their backcourt by sending out Dosunmu and Ball, which leads Coby White and Josh Giddey to take over the bulk of backcourt minutes. For doing so, they recoup another first-round draft pick in the upcoming draft and even get a possible successor to Dosunmu in Kobe Bufkin. Bufkin’s defensive potential has been evident in flashes and he could add something to Chicago’s rotation if he’s healthy this season. Collins is a really interesting fit in Chicago that played well last season for Utah. He shot 39.9% from deep on 3.7 attempts per game and can play as either a power forward or center. Given that Nikola Vucevic is almost certainly gone after this season, he could be the future answer for Chicago’s center position. The Bulls also move off the Patrick Williams contract, which has been disappointing for them as Williams hasn’t been more than a below-average starter at PF.
Why the Bulls would not do this trade: There’s reason to believe that White would be the player to send out in a deal like this because Dosunmu is an excellent defender and White’s game aligns more with Giddey’s. Collins is also an expiring deal and would need to be re-signed on a new deal if he plays well for the Bulls. Furthermore, it’s also impossible to discuss Bufkin’s possible impact without considering his extensive injury history that has limited his growth thus far in the NBA.
Why the Jazz would do this trade: Dosumnu is the headliner of this deal for the Jazz – he’s a strong defender who takes on difficult defensive assignments with success. For example, he’s been very effective against Trae Young in his minutes against the All-Star point guard. As a playmaker, he’s very underrated, posting an AST% of 21% in the minutes he played last season. For some reference, that graded out in the 92nd percentile leaguewide. His speed is his best asset and he uses that to get past defenders and fight for offensive rebounds. Williams has disappointed in Chicago, but the Jazz aren’t risking much to find out whether the 6’8 wing can find a new level in a new situation. He’s under contract for the next four years for $18 million per year, but that’s hardly a cumbersome contract for the Jazz because they aren’t paying anyone other than Lauri Markkanen. He has some shooting touch and the tools to be a solid defender – it’s just a question of finding that potential and it doesn’t seem that Chicago is going to get it out of him.
Why the Jazz would not do this trade: Williams might have one of the worst contracts in the NBA and Ayo did have a down season last year. Furthermore, even if Dosunmu does well in Utah, they’ll need to sign him to a new contract. They are sending out a first-round pick in a pretty strong NBA Draft to take a chance on these two players and it’s fair to question whether it’s the best use of their draft capital.