The Atlanta Hawks exceeded expectations this season, finishing with a 46-36 record and earning the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. The team traded star point guard Trae Young to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert before the Feb. 5 deadline, experiencing game-changing results. The Hawks competed well against the New York Knicks in the first-round series, but their postseason ended on an embarrassing note with a 51-point loss. Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley is ready for the Hawks to take things up a notch this offseason, citing that a blockbuster three-team trade sending an ex-Golden State Warriors disgruntled forward (Jonathan Kuminga) to the Boston Celtics for a bona fide 29-year-old star guard could occur. The trade proposal would send the No. 8 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Kuminga (sign-and-trade), Zaccharie Risacher, and a 2028 first-round pick (via the Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, or Utah Jazz) to the New Orleans Pelicans, Brown and Yves Missi to the Celtics, and Trey Murphy III, Onyeka Okongwu, Kevon Looney, and a 2030 first-round pick swap (via Atlanta) to the Hawks. While adding Brown to the equation wouldn't make the Hawks the clear favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in the 2027 NBA Finals, they would certainly position themselves for a deeper postseason run. Jayson Tatum's lengthy recovery from his mid-2025 Achilles injury forced Brown to assume larger offensive responsibilities, and the California product was electric in every way imaginable. Brown averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, showcasing his ability to thrive as Boston's high-usage No. 1 scoring option.