The Hawks will be heavily involved in free agency and the trade market this offseason. Atlanta’s GM Travis Schlenk has already stated changes are coming, and he was backed by Tony Ressler, who told the media entering the luxury tax doesn’t scare Hawks’ ownership.
The two biggest names that have been constantly linked to the Hawks are Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. The duo have run their course in Utah and are expected to split up this offseason. All signs point to the Jazz building around Spida, but we are a ways away from anything materializing.
Right now, the Hawks have the personnel and draft capital to pull off nearly any trade that presents itself to Schlenk. One name, in particular, that has interested the Jazz and could help facilitate a trade for Mitchell or Gobert is De’Andre Hunter.
“I’ve heard the Jazz like De’Andre Hunter’s game, and he’s, theoretically, what they need more of moving forward if [Donovan] Mitchell is whom they decide to build around,” Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports. “Utah needs more perimeter defense, maybe worse than Atlanta, if you can actually imagine that after what we watched this season.”
Hunter has been mostly disappointing despite his heroic performance in Game 5 against the Heat. The former fourth overall pick averaged 13.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 44.2% from the field and 37.9% from beyond the arc. Hunter’s performance against Miami in the playoffs was atypical — averaging 21.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game on 55.7% shooting from the field and 46.2% from three-point range.
Hunter is only 24-years-old and has struggled mightily to stay healthy, but the potential is clearly there. He’s eligible for an extension this offseason, but he might be packaged to bring in Mitchell, Gobert, or another star to Atlanta.
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