The Hawks need to focus on getting a second star to pair with Trae Young, but if I know Travis Schlenk, he’ll be looking to improve the roster anywhere he can. The Hawks aren’t losing a ton of guys in free agency, but they still need to improve the roster, especially defensively and coming off the bench. Here’s a few guys I have my eye on that may not be superstars, but could help the team immediately. Hopefully, the Hawks can snag one of these guys and still make a play for a big time name to play alongside Trae Young. I’ll be focusing on good defenders who can shoot efficiently.
G Malcolm Brogdon
I wanted the Hawks to take a swing on Brogdon around the trade deadline, but due to signing restrictions, that wasn’t possible. Acquiring Brogdon would be a risk; he’s coming off of injury and wasn’t playing particularly well before it either. However, he’s still a veteran combo guard who can defend multiple positions effectively and knock down some open threes. The Hawks would be buying low on a guy who hit 39% of his threes on 21/5/5/ splits in 2020-2021. I think he’s a perfect fit if you don’t have to sell out for him.
G Alex Caruso
The Bulls were an interesting team this past season for many reasons. First, I really wanted Alex Caruso in free agency and Ayo Dosunmu in the draft. Chicago got both. The former was injured on a dirty play by Grayson Allen, and the latter turned into one of the better players in the last draft class. After looking like a team that could make an NBA Finals push, the Bulls fizzled out and quietly exited from the playoffs. With Dosunmu playing like a potential franchise piece, could the Bulls look to move off of Alex Caruso? I stand by my reasons for wanting him last offseason — he’s a high quality, energetic backcourt defender that can score in bunches when called upon. He’d be perfect playing next to Trae Young or coming off of the bench.
F Luguentz Dort
I don’t think the Thunder would be willing to part with Dort — and they shouldn’t. However, all options seem to be on the table, and the Thunder love collecting picks and young assets. Lu Dort is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, and every time I mention the Hawks going for him, Thunder fans always say they don’t want him going anywhere. The fact that he’s a pretty good three-point shooter is just icing on the cake. He can guard almost any position on the floor and brings a ton of energy — two things the Hawks desperately need.
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