Rudy Gay (Photo : Getty Images)
The Atlanta Hawks could be a potential landing spot for Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay in a four-way blockbuster deal that would also see the Boston Celtics acquiring Jahlil Okafor.
The Hawks have been able to add key pieces that could keep the team afloat in the Eastern Conference, but may still need another scorer to cover up the void left by All-Star center Al Horford.
With very few quality players remaining in free agency, the Hawks may incline on trading for available players in the trade market. According to Tom Atkinson of Sports Illustrated's Fansided, a possible option for the Hawks is Rudy Gay, who is widely expected to get dealt this offseason after being rumored to have requested a trade from the Kings.
"To take a step forward and solve many of their problems, including a long-standing desire for a wing scorer capable of creating his own shots, the Hawks should look to trade for Gay," Atkinson wrote.
Atkinson explored a four-way blockbuster deal that would involve the Hawks, Kings, Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics.
In Atkinson's trade scenario, the Hawks acquire Gay and Ben McLemore from the Kings, while Sacramento gets Kelly Olynyk from Boston and Robert Covington from Philadelphia.
The 76ers then receive Tiago Splitter, Marcus Smart, Tim Hardaway Jr and the conditional Minnesota Timberwolves pick from Atlanta.
As for the Celtics, they get to acquire Jahlil Okafor, who has been heavily linked to Boston for the past few months.
While adding Gay and McLemore would create a logjam at the wing, the two provides the needed depth to keep the Hawks competitive. Both players could be essential 3-and-D guys in Mike Budenholzer's system, although they would likely come off the bench behind
On the other hand, the Celtics get an alternative to their pursuit of big names like Russell Westbrook and Blake Griffin, who have become unlikely to get dealt this offseason. With Westbrook agreeing to a contract extension with the Thunder and the Clippers intending to keep Griffin for a while, Okafor would serve as a quality acquisition for Boston without giving too much assets.
The 76ers would receive a pair of young talents in Smart and Hardaway, which would address the team's need to the bolster their backcourt. Splitter would, however, clog the frontcourt, but his championship experience could be valuable to a raw and inexperienced 76ers team.
Likewise, the Kings getting Olynyk also creates a problem in the team's rotation of big men, but his outside shooting could help free up more interior offense for DeMarcus Cousins. Covington, on the other hand, is a cheaper and younger replacement for Gay.
It remains to be seen whether the Hawks have a genuine interest in acquiring Gay, and such deal could be far-fetched for all the teams involved. But it seems the Kings' intentions to move Gay is becoming clear, which could be a viable opportunity for the Hawks for the right price.
