On Saturday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter) reported the Atlanta Hawks were guaranteeing the contract of forward Tyler Cavanaugh and guard Isaiah Taylor.
The Atlanta Hawks plan to guarantee the contracts of Isaiah Taylor ($1.3M) and Tyler Cavanaugh ($679K) for the rest of the season, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 6, 2018
Tyler Cavanaugh’s journey has been an interesting one. From being waived shortly after training camp to signing a two-way contract, he’s made the most of his opportunity after being undrafted out of George Washington University.
More from Soaring Down South
- Start, Bench, Cut: Sorting through the Hawks’ power forward options
- Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic reacts to earning FIBA World Cup championship bid
- When does training camp start for the Atlanta Hawks?
- Grade the trade: Hawks deal Trae Young to Clippers in shocking proposal
- Dejounte Murray rips NBA 2K after Atlanta Hawks ratings reveal
Though he only averages 5.3 PPG, he’s had 4 games in which he’s scored in double digits, including a career-high 16 points in a nail-biting loss to the Pelicans in November. Cavanaugh’s three-point shooting prowess (35.9% on a 59.3% three-point attempt rate) has been a bit of a revelation for Atlanta, and his 125 offensive rating per 100 possessions is the highest on the team.
Cavanaugh has also shown an aptitude for crashing the offensive glass, which is what this team has lacked even in its best seasons. Cavanaugh’s 9.9 offensive rebound percentage is second on the team behind John Collins’s muscular 15 percent, and his total rebound percentage of 14.1% is also impressive at 4th on the Hawks.
This is what Mike Budenholzer likes. A stretchy power forward who can not only get second-chance boards but can also be a threat outside matches Coach Bud’s favorite player archetypes to a “t” — such as Paul Millsap and Al Horford.
Isaiah Taylor is with his 2nd NBA team, only playing 4 games with the Houston Rockets last season. With the Hawks, Taylor’s in-game impact does not translate to the stat sheet, where he only averages 5.0 PPG, 2.3 assists and 1.5 rebounds. However, he had 14 huge points in a shocking win over the Cavs in November.
Taylor has shown he isn’t afraid to drive to basket, as his immense speed actually parallels starter Dennis Schröder’s, which can help open up some outside shots for Cavanaugh and his backup backcourt mate Malcolm Delaney. His shooting could improve as he’s only hitting 40.4 percent of his shots from the field and only 25.8 percent from behind the arc.
In the quest to find a second point guard to complement Dennis Schröder, Taylor still has a way to go. However, he’s showing he has the tools to develop into a triple threat at the 1 position.
What Does This Mean for the Hawks Going Forward?
- Low Risk, High Reward – Both of these contracts add up to about $2 million for the remainder of the 2017-2018 season. If one or both of these guys can develop into a consistent contributor in the NBA, they can be re-signed at a reasonable price. If not, it opens some roster spots without leaving a large void in the rotation.
- Trade Deadline – If they continue to progress, it could open up possibilities for a trade or two at the deadline. The question is who and for what? Would anyone take the contract of Miles Plumlee? Would a bigger name like Kent Bazemore, Mike Muscala, or Ersan Ilyasova be on the block? Only time will tell as we get closer to February.
As far as this move, I like it. You get two young talents for pennies on the dollar and the reward outweighs the risk. Travis Schlenk has given me no reason to doubt the method to his madness when it comes to getting this team to the next level. Cavanaugh and Taylor have shown to be productive assets — though not on a consistent basis as many would like. However, good things come to the patient, and I think the Hawks are moving in the right direction.