The Hawks are expected to make substantial changes to their roster this offseason, beginning with Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.
Atlanta will have to move one of their All-Star point guards. The fit was always wonky, but they were the worst version of themselves on the court together. Young and Murray should return a nice haul of picks and/or players to build around the one the Hawks don’t trade.
In addition, the club should be able to flip a few other pieces for more assets. If the Hawks decide to draft Alex Sarr or another big man with the top pick, Clint Capela immediately becomes expendable.
Another player expected to hit the trade block is De’Andre Hunter, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter was another name rival executives expected to become available for Atlanta as the draft nears.”
Hunter has had a tumultuous career in Atlanta. He’s struggled to stay healthy, dealt with inconsistencies, and certainly hasn’t lived up to the billing of his draft status, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad player.
Hunter only played in 57 games this season, which is the third-fewest of his career, but he did average a career-high 15.6 points on 45.9% shooting from the field and 38.5% from deep, which was also a career-best. He’s often tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best player as well, which only makes him even more valuable.
If the Hawks are attempting to remain competitive rather than rebuild, they should be looking for more players like De’Andre Hunter, not trading one away. Long wings that are capable of shooting close to 40% from beyond the arc don’t grow on trees, as the Hawks should know better than anyone.
An argument could be made that De’Andre Hunter is overpaid at over $20 million per season, but that’s pretty much the going rate for a player of his caliber, which is why there will be a market for him if the Hawks make him available.
Regardless, all signs point to seismic changes coming to Atlanta’s roster, and Hunter certainly could be apart of those changes.
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Photographer: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
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