After an action-packed 2018 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks will soon enter into one of the most tumultuous free agent periods in NBA history with plenty of incredible talents on the open market – and many others looking to latch on to the next big superteam.
Though of course the big prize is LeBron James, who new Hawks point guard Trae Young would love to play with, Paul George is also very much on the market and Kawhi Leonard is also almost certainly on the way out the door in San Antonio.
Betting is open, as many believe that all three will land in Los Angeles Lakers uniforms, but either way, the 2018 Free Agency will be one of the most seismic since… well, at least since last year’s.
As such, the Hawks are also in the market for various needs, though they should mostly be looking to take on bad contracts and salary dumps in order to accrue more draft assets going forward.
Let’s take a look at some of the team needs the Hawks will be looking to address during 2018 Free Agency.
Stable Backup Point Guards — Marcus Smart, Fred VanVleet, Isaiah Thomas
After recently waiving Isaiah Taylor, who provided solid backup point guard minutes for Atlanta last season, the team is lacking a solid backup point guard to soak up minutes not provided by Trae Young and (if he remains on the team) Dennis Schröder.
There will be a few notable point guards on the market with Chris Paul being the highlight – though he will almost certainly return to the Rockets on an immense long-term deal – and the Hawks would do well to test the restricted free agent market on both Marcus Smart of the Celtics and Fred VanVleet of the Raptors.
Both play hard, are capable passers and defenders and each have a singularly impressive skill: Smart is an incredible defender who puts forth maximum effort on each and every possession and VanVleet is a deadeye three-point shooter (41.4 percent in his second season in the league).
Both players would match the Hawks need for youth, as both players will be 24 when the 2018-19 season begins.
One player who does not match that age range is the embattled Isaiah Thomas, who was hoping a team would have to “back up the Brinks truck” to give him his next contract. After a nightmarish season with both the Cavaliers and Lakers, IT will be lucky to get a minimum deal from any team.
Atlanta has already upgraded its starpower this offseason via the draft, as Trae Young comes in as one of the most highly touted rookies the Hawks have selected since Al Horford in 2007. Adding Thomas in a backup, veteran point guard capacity would allow the Hawks to capitalize on a talented and likable player who should still be able to play around 15 to 20 minutes a game for Atlanta.
Athletic, Rim-Running Centers — Clint Capela, Julius Randle, Nerlens Noel
Because they instead went for shooting, playmaking and ballhandling in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Hawks’ need for a steady, athletic and rim-protecting center still remains.
Hopefully, the team will look to rectify that need in free agency where multiple promising players will be on the market – headlined by Clint Capela, Julius Randle and, to a lesser degree, Nerlens Noel.
Though Capela would be the best option for the Hawks, it is unlikely that the Rockets will let him walk via restricted free agency – they very much need his rim-protecting, play-finishing and rim-running abilities.
That leaves Julius Randle, who would make for a scintillating fit with John Collins and could help to tutor him in the dark arts of NBA big man moves. Randle is an unstoppable offensive force, as he is too strong for many smaller players and too fast for larger players.
Watching him on the Lakers last season was akin to watching a graceful bull in a china shop bulldoze his way through defender after defender.
Still, signing Randle is unlikely after the selection of Omari Spellman in the 2018 NBA Draft, but the team should keep their options open.
Lastly, the team should be willing to take a flyer on Nerlens Noel, as he still must have some semblance of talent after a disastrous stint with the Mavericks will come to a merciful end. There are severe questions about Noel’s motor and attitude, so the Hawks will have to see if they’re willing to risk that in the locker room. If they are, Noel is worth a small shot.
Playmaking Wing Scorers — Jabari Parker, Aaron Gordon, Zach LaVine, Rodney Hood, Michael Beasley
This is perhaps the most robust category of player that the Hawks will be looking at in free agency this year.
Though they had the chance to select a player of this nature in the 2018 Draft and passed on it, this is also perhaps the most fraught category in terms of each player’s future. With the likes of Jabari Parker, Zach LaVine and Rodney Hood available, who knows if any of those players will be effective options going forward, or if they’ll be out of the league entirely.
Parker and Gordon, while tantalizing talents, will likely not fit particularly well with Second Team All-Rookie member John Collins and recently drafted Omari Spellman, but if they can be obtained on a cost-effective deal, their upside is still quite impressive, and they should be worth a chance.
Rodney Hood is a proven scorer and he even showcased some of his abilities on the NBA’s grandest stage of the NBA Finals, but he fell way, way out of the Cavaliers rotation down the end of the season after a promising first 4½ seasons in Utah. Hood will provide size, shooting and scoring for the Hawks at the 3 position – definitely a position of need since they only have Taurean Prince available to play at small forward.
Lastly, the Hawks have been linked to veteran shooter and natural scorer Michael Beasley for months, though he doesn’t quite match the Hawks timeline, nor is he known for being an adept veteran leader in the locker room. If Atlanta can nab him on a minimum contract, however, he might be worth a look.
Quality Defensive Players – Josh Huestis, Treveon Graham, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
One thing the Hawks are not expected to be in the 2018-19 season is a defensive powerhouse. Each of the three players they selected in the 2018 Draft are defensive negatives at this point in their career (i.e. coming out of college), and the team’s numbers last season were less-than-stellar.
Though new coach Lloyd Pierce has preached that a defensive mindset is his top priority, the Hawks just don’t have the personnel on the roster at this juncture to practice what Pierce preaches.
Perhaps the team will look to bolster their defensive abilities in free agency, where Josh Huestis, Treveon Graham and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will all be available on the free agent market.
Despite being in the league for 5 seasons, KCP is still only 25 years old, and if he were to sign in Atlanta, he would be returning home as he was born in Greenville, Georgia and played his college ball at the University of Georgia. If he were willing to take a hometown haircut on his next contract, the Hawks should definitely take an interest in his shooting and defensive ability on the perimeter.
Huestis was a defensive terror on the Thunder last season, as his length and athleticism made him an impact player on that end of the floor. He did not bring much on offense, however, which might be an issue for Travis Schelnk and company.
Treveon Graham, while not putting up extremely enticing numbers last season in his sophomore campaign, was a rock-solid three-and-D wing, and he should be available for a relatively bargain deal. Still only 24, Graham would be an excellent defensive-minded three-point marksman for the team in 2018-19.
High-Upside, Low-Cost Flyers – Mario Hezonja, Patrick McCaw, Dante Exum
The Hawks should also be willing to take a chance on any and all low-cost “experiments” the team can get their hands on. Chief among this is Dante Exum, though the Jazz might be willing to pony up a decent amount in order to keep an explosively speedy point guard who has shown various flashes throughout his injury-limited time in the NBA.
Patrick McCaw is another guard option via the Warriors, though he will likely want to remain on the Warriors and become a multiple-time champion with little to no on-court influence from him. Still though, Golden State has gone undefeated in the Finals since he was drafted in 2016. Just saying.
Lastly, Mario Hezonja of the Magic came in with a lot of hype that he has failed to live up to in his 3 NBA seasons, though he did show signs of growth during his best NBA season in 2017-18. If the Hawks are willing to take on a project wing who has some ballhandling ability (this clip notwithstanding), then Hezonja would make for an interesting low-cost play in 2018 NBA Free Agency.
Next: Warriors of the East? Thoughts on Hawks 2018 NBA Draft
NBA Free Agency is upon us, so keep it locked to Soaring Down South for all your Atlanta Hawks free agency news and offseason trades.