Hawks Potential Free Agents: Shooting Guards

This series of potential free agents continues with the best shooting guards available for the Hawks this offseason. Remember, this is not ordered by the best players at the position but rather who would best fit Atlanta’s young core. Shooting guard has been a position of weakness for the Hawks over the last few seasons, as Kevin Huerter has failed to break out. The Hawks could be looking for a new starter this offseason, but at the very least, they could use some depth.

Shooting Guards

1. Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdanović was actually drafted in 2014 with the 27th-overall pick by the Phoenix Suns but played overseas until he was traded to the Sacramento Kings. He made his NBA debut in the 2017-2018 season and has been a reliable sniper both as a starter and off the bench, averaging 13.5 points per game over the last three seasons while shooting 43.4% from the field and 37.4% from behind the arc.

Bogdanović is a restricted free agent. While the Kings would like to keep him, the Hawks have enough cap space to sign him to an offer sheet that Sacramento might not want to match. Adding him to the mix would immediately make Atlanta much more of a playoff threat.

2. Joe Harris

Harris was close to coming in at No. 1 on this list, and you could really call him 1-B. He’s exactly what the Hawks need to be surrounding Trae Young with offensively — a sniper. Harris had Kyle Korver-esqu season last year, shooting nearly 50% from the field and 42.4% from three. The season before, he lead the league in three-point shooting, making his shots from behind the arc at a 47.4% clip.

The Hawks shoot a ton of threes, but they have had trouble making a lot of them. Harris would instantly help them in that area.

3. Bryn Forbes

Forbes has been a sniper since his college days at Michigan State. Over the last two seasons, he’s become an integral piece to the San Antonio Spurs, starting in 143-of-145 games in which he’s played. The Hawks are desperate for three-point shooting. Few shoot the ball better than Forbes, who has made 40.8% of his tries from behind the arc over the last two seasons.

4. Malik Beasley

Beasley is a restricted free agent that the Timberwolves would probably like to hold onto. However, they may have bigger aspirations, which could lead to the Hawks swooping in and making a deal with the former Denver Nugget. Beasley took a bit of a step back this past season, but he’s the type of offensive threat that can score in bunches while also playing solid defense.

5. Alec Burks

About five years ago, Burks was a young player for the Jazz that many thought had a chance to become an All-Star. However, injuries plagued him for years.

Utah eventually moved on, but Burks signed a small deal with the Warriors this past offseason, and because of so many injuries, he ended up becoming one of their most consistent pieces. Burks is definitely due for a raise, but it’s not certain the Warriors will be very interested in retaining him. There’s some upside here.

6. DeMar DeRozan

DeRozan is the best player on this list. However, as mentioned in the intro, that isn’t all this list is about. It’s more about fit, and DeRozan may not be the right fit in Atlanta.

The Hawks are trying to build a fast-paced team that excels at shooting the ball from behind the arc. That’s not DeRozan’s game, and he could command somewhere around $30 million annually this offseason.