Report: The Celtics And Hawks Pulled Off A Trade To Send Tristan Thompson To Atlanta

UPDATE: More details have come out regarding this trade, with further reporting that Tristan Thompson isn’t heading to Atlanta after all. Instead, he’ll serve as frontcourt reinforcements for the Sacramento Kings. To make the deal work out, Sacramento will sent Delon Wright to Atlanta.

EARLIER: One day after the NBA Draft and a pair of Eastern Conference playoff teams came to terms on a trade. The Boston Celtics, which have been in serious need of point guard depth, and the Atlanta Hawks, which could use a big man in the short-term, worked out a deal that helps both teams.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Tristan Thompson is headed to the Hawks, and in exchange, the Celtics will acquire Kris Dunn and a second-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

While neither Dunn nor Thompson are game-changers, they are able to provide a little stability to a pair of positions that have question marks. Boston’s point guards are a mishmash of Marcus Smart and a trio of young dudes (Carsen Edwards, Payton Pritchard, Tremont Waters), and while Dunn isn’t going to go in and win the starting job barring something unforeseen, he gives them a competent option off the bench and a person who can provide some defensive tenacity on the perimeter.

As for the Hawks, the team won’t have promising young big man Onyeka Okongwu for six months following offseason shoulder surgery. While he should be back in time for the pre-All-Star push and the second half of the season based off of that timetable, they could use an option behind Clint Capela that does not involve going small with John Collins (should he re-sign) or Danilo Gallinari, and Thompson gives them exactly that. Neither team is taking on a long-term contract in the deal, either, as both players are free agents at the conclusion of the 2021-22 campaign.