Bill Simmons Calls New Orleans Draft Night Trade With Atlanta 'One of the five worst trades of this decade'

What a week it has been for the Atlanta Hawks.

On Tuesday night, they made a big trade for Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis, sending the No. 22 pick and Terance Mann to the Nets and Georges Niang and a second rounder to Boston. It was widely regarded as a sharp trade by many around the NBA, but things got better for the Hawks during the first round of the NBA draft.

Sitting with the No. 13 pick, Atlanta made one of the most stunning draft day trades in recent memory. The Hawks sent the 13th pick to the New Orleans Pelicans for the 23rd pick and an unprotected first round pick that is the most favorable of the Pelicans or the Bucks.

Let me say that again. The Atlanta Hawks will get the most favorable pick between the Bucks and the Pelicans.

In an always tough Western Conference, the Pelicans are projected to be among the worst teams and very unlikely to be a playoff team. Milwaukee still has Giannis Antetokounmpo (for now), but the rest of that roster is very weak. Given the Bucks still get to play in the East and have one of the best players in the world, who is also durable and available. There is a good chance that the Hawks end up with a lottery pick, and it is not crazy to think they could even land in the top four if things break their way.

There has been a lot of reaction to the trade, including from Bill Simmons, who had called the trade one of the five worst in the decade:

"New Orleans trades up ten spots so they can get Derik Queen and they give up their unprotected 2026 first round pick swap that they have with Milwaukee, they have the favorable, whatever pick it is they keep. They send that to Atlanta, who had to be deliriously happy, this was one of the five dumbest trades of this decade, I was speechless."