This means that the Hawks will need to trade one of the higher paid players on the roster. This really only leaves Rudy Gobert as an option for a return for Hunter.
None of these players are likely to move the needle for the Hawks enough to trade Hunter and another player. There are several players who are of higher value like Jordan Clarkson, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Mike Conley. Other players who are currently around the same value as Hunter are Royce O’Neale, Juancho Hernangomez, and Rudy Gay, none of which are enough to make it worthwhile to make the move for Hunter. Getting Donovan Mitchell in return is not an option as the Jazz are looking to build around him. His ability to defend at a high level and switch to offense is becoming a rare commodity in the NBA these days. In order to trade Hunter, the Hawks would want to get a decent return because, after some injury-interrupted seasons, he is starting to develop into a truly exceptional player. Why the Atlanta Hawks would need to make several trades to make this work. Given that the former Virginia standout is entering the fourth season of his rookie deal, the Hawks won’t be able to trade for a franchise player without adding more pieces.
This means that for the Jazz to get Hunter, they need to make a trade. However, at this point, we need to assume that the salary cap situation will remain status quo until the Hawks make a move.
