Trade & FA 2025-26: Free Agency Starts 5pm CST/6pm EST

[KillerLeft]

Those assessments sounds about right.  I think in an ideal world they find a third team for Trae.  It might be that Hawks are ready to move on from Trae but are struggling with the optics of the meager return they get for him.  If they make it a three team deal they can effectively say they sent out Trae to get AD.  I'm not married to Risacher.  I would be fine with adding more assets instead.  Newell is an interesting young player with a history with Flagg and much easier contract to stomach.

I ran across one of those "insiders" (for whatever that's worth) that claimed his Hawks guy told him a couple of months ago that the Mavs were pushing hard for Risacher, and that while they (ATL) kept him out of negotiations at first, they had recently caved and agreed to include him. The timing of this was supposed to have happened around the time Stein started using Risacher's name. 

Not sure what I believe or don't, but I do kinda think there's some legitimacy to all of this, at least in terms of serious negotiations happening between ATL and DAL. All the rumors are basically the same, but with minor differences. I really like that Mannix felt confident enough to say that not only has DAL asked for that Pelicans pick, but that they've been focused on prying it away "for a while." That doesn't mean they'll get it, obviously, but they're reaching for assets that could make a difference, at least.