Atlanta Hawks Receive: F Jonathan Isaac, G E’Twaun Moore, CHI 2023 1st Round Pick (Top-4 Protected, via ORL)
Orlando Magic Receive: F John Collins
One of the more intriguing scenarios that will play out at the trade deadline once again revolves around the Orlando Magic and moves to “sell” talent that they could make.
Their frontcourt of Mo Bamba, Chuma Okeke, Wendell Carter Jr. and Moritz Wagner have played well this season and are starting to look more comfortable with one another in recent weeks, which raises the question of what will happen with Jonathan Isaac?
The 24-year-old big man has not played in an NBA game since tearing his left ACL in August of 2020, but he is currently on the mend and is hoping to make his return at some point after the All-Star break.
The problem presented to Orlando now, which is a good problem to have, is that they have too much talent in their frontcourt and not enough minutes to go around. When Isaac returns, it is hard to envision the Magic cutting the minutes of Wendell Carter Jr. or Mo Bamba, so his fit in their long-term equation is in question.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Mavs, Spurs Teams To Watch In Event Of John Collins Trade
Prior to his ACL injury, Jonathan Isaac was really starting to emerge as a high-level two-way threat at the power-forward position. Standing 6’11” with a 7’0” wingspan, Isaac can score in the low-post, shoot from the perimeter, rebound on either end of the court and most importantly, be an elite-level defender.
In 34 games during the 2019-20 season, Jonathan Isaac averaged 1.6 steals and 2.3 blocks per game, showcasing his effectiveness on the defensive-end of the floor. The Atlanta Hawks could certainly use an impact defender like this, but are they willing to take on the liability of Isaac returning from a serious knee injury?
As for the Magic, the whole point of trading Isaac would be to get rid of frontcourt talents, but John Collins is a pretty versatile player. He is a traditional low-post scoring threat, but similar to what the Cavaliers have done this season with three seven-footers, the Magic could roll out a lineup consisting of Collins, Carter Jr. and Bamba at the same time.
In more realistic terms though, they could acquire John Collins with the mindset of moving Wendell Carter Jr. to center and trading Mo Bamba at the deadline since he is in the final year of his rookie contract.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Mavs, Spurs Teams To Watch In Event Of John Collins Trade
This would certainly be a complicated trade for both sides to make, but does it make sense for either the Hawks or the Orlando Magic?
