Atlanta Took Crabbe and Two First-Round Rights Paths
Atlanta traded Taurean Prince and a 2021 second-round selection to Brooklyn in a July 6, 2019 transaction involving guard Allen Crabbe, the rights to 2019 first-round pick Nickeil Alexander-Walker and another protected first-round asset. The future selection eventually appeared in the 2020 draft as No. 17, associated with Aleksej Pokuševski. The Hawks were trading an established wing for a mix of current veteran salary and developmental options, while Brooklyn wanted another shooter and defender during a major free-agent offseason. Multiple draft-rights paths made this deal more complex than a simple Prince-for-Crabbe exchange.
Crabbe Played in Atlanta, But the Pick Rights Moved Again
Crabbe made NBA appearances for the Hawks during the 2019-20 season, providing some immediate perimeter depth. The more important long-run flexibility came from the two first-round rights, not from treating every player eventually associated with them as an Atlanta roster member. Alexander-Walker's rights moved in another transaction before he established his NBA career with New Orleans. Likewise, Pokuševski's NBA career developed with Oklahoma City after additional rights transfers. Their subsequent games elsewhere are evidence that the choices had trade value, not that the Hawks enjoyed the full players' production on the court.
Brooklyn Received Prince as a Regular Rotation Wing
Prince joined Brooklyn and played substantial wing minutes during the 2019-20 season, providing size, defense and three-point shooting for a team preparing to integrate new star talent. The Nets also received an incoming future second-round selection that later appears in the draft ledger as No. 49 Marcus Zegarowski in 2021. That choice and Prince's direct appearances are real benefits. Prince's later seasons with other franchises should not be counted as extra Nets production. Brooklyn was paying a meaningful price in first-round rights to gain a player it expected to use immediately rather than a guaranteed multi-year All-Star.
Two Tradable First-Round Assets Favor Atlanta
The Hawks acquired usable veteran minutes and two important draft opportunities, which helped support the organization's larger roster-building effort. Brooklyn received a proven young wing and a second-round choice, so its side was not empty. The difference is the extra value carried by the first-round rights Atlanta could later move in independent deals. The verdict favors the Hawks without assigning every performance of Alexander-Walker or Pokuševski to Atlanta, and without treating Brooklyn's big free-agent moves as direct consequences of a single exchange. A fair retrospective weighs immediate Prince production against the Hawks' wider asset base.
Final Verdict
Hawks Win. Atlanta earns B+ for Allen Crabbe's short-term playing time and the transferable rights tied to Nickeil Alexander-Walker and the later No. 17 Aleksej Pokuševski draft slot. Brooklyn receives B for Taurean Prince's wing minutes and a 2021 second-round asset associated with Marcus Zegarowski. Alexander-Walker and Pokuševski's NBA games with other franchises aren't assigned to Atlanta.