5 Expensive players the Raptors could take back in a Bruce Brown trade

No. 3: Da'Andre Hunter

The Atlanta Hawks are trying to walk a tightrope of sorts between staying competitive and building up a young core of prospects. They still have Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Clint Capela, but at the same time now also have Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels and No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher.

Stuck in between the two timelines is De'Andre Hunter, a player who feels like he still has "upside" to improve on both ends of the court, but in reality is a player with all the tools to be impactful but who has never really put it together for more than flashes. He should be a high-level defender and steady shooter, but in reality he's been a bench player paid too much not to start.

The Hawks may be looking to offload money ahead of a further roster reshaping, whether that's an all-out rebuild or not. Swapping Hunter's contract for Brown's expiring deal would allow them to maintain the tightrope, pushing for the playoffs this year while opening up future financial flexibility.

Hunter will make another $70 million over the three seasons remaining on his deal, and he is very clearly not a player at that level. If his shot comes around he is an intriguing fit on the Raptors, who could desperately use two-way forwards, but there's no reason to think the odds of that are particularly high. If the Hawks would attach a future first-round pick it may be worth taking on Hunter's deal...or it may still be too low of an asset.