The Deal
Hawks get: Guard Kirk Hinrich (from Bulls)
Jazz get: Guard Shelvin Mack (from Hawks)
Bulls: Forward Justin Holiday, 2018 Denver second-round pick (from Jazz)
Atlanta Hawks: B
Well, this wasn't exactly the move involving point guards we were expecting from the Hawks at the deadline. After a week of rumors, they decided to stand pat with their core but did make a move around the edges.
Mack, a key reserve as recently as 2013-14 and part-time player in 2014-15, had fallen out of the rotation this season. In his second tour of duty in Atlanta, Hinrich offers a bit more positional flexibility because of his ability to play either guard spot. He's probably more effective defending shooting guards than point guards. Giving Tim Hardaway Jr.'s minutes to Hinrich the rest of the season should be a slight upgrade.
The Hawks also got rid of Holiday's guaranteed 2016-17 salary. While he is scheduled to make only the minimum, that provides a little bit of wiggle room for Atlanta to re-sign unrestricted free agent Kent Bazemore using cap space.
Chicago Bulls: B
This was a financially motivated deal for the Bulls, who save about $3.5 million in salary and taxes by trading from Hinrich's $2.9 million contract to Holiday's minimum deal. Chicago not only avoided giving up any picks in the process but actually got one for its trouble.
Still, there's a cost here. Hinrich was part of the rotation when healthy and was important insurance for Derrick Rose's availability. With E'Twaun Moore starting at shooting guard, coach Fred Hoiberg will have to shuffle things around if (when?) Rose misses time.
Mike Dunleavy's return means the Bulls might now be slightly deeper on the wings, so Holiday is unlikely to play a role. He was never able to hold down a spot in the Atlanta rotation and remains more of an aspiring 3-and-D wing than an actual one as a career 28.8 percent 3-point shooter.
Utah Jazz: B-plus
The Jazz dealing for a starting point guard was always a long shot with Dante Exum due back next season. Mack upgrades coach Quin Snyder's options at the position without any kind of long-term commitment. (His $2.4 million salary for 2016-17 is non-guaranteed through July 7, though Utah may want to keep him around at what would be an excellent price for a backup point guard rather than a third one.)
Mack isn't quite the outside shooter the Jazz would ideally like at point guard next to ball-dominant wings Alec Burks, Gordon Hayward and Rodney Hood -- he's a career 31.7 percent 3-point shooter -- but he's capable enough that he can play off the ball.
The better fit is at the defensive end, where Mack is big and physical enough to defend smaller shooting guards. That will give Utah the option of cross-matching at guard, something that's not possible with incumbent point guards Trey Burke and Raul Neto.
The Jazz are able to take Mack into cap space and will spend little additional money because they were previously under the salary floor. That said, I can't help but wonder if Utah might not have been better off just taking Hinrich as a defensive-minded backup.