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Atlanta Hawks: Delaney, Lee & Magette Headed for Free Agency

By Chris Guest

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 4: Josh Magette #11 of the Atlanta Hawks handles the ball against the Miami Heat on April 4, 2018 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kevin Liles/NBAE via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 4: Josh Magette #11 of the Atlanta Hawks handles the ball against the Miami Heat on April 4, 2018 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kevin Liles/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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After the Atlanta Hawks did not tender a qualifying offer for them, three players from the 2017-18 campaign – Malcolm Delaney, Damion Lee and Josh Magette – are headed for unrestricted free agency.

Though each player had important roles during last season – with Lee in particular playing heavy minutes down the end of the season as one of the very, very few wing-sized guards on the roster – none of them did anything spectacular during their time within the Atlanta Hawks organization.

Magette, who had a two-way contract with the Hawks and was recently signed on to play in the summer league for the Golden State Warriors (the rich get richer, am I right?), was the only one of the three players with a singularly special skill: His passing was cerebral and excellent throughout his time with the organization, both with Atlanta and as part of the G-League affiliate Erie BayHawks.

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As a member of the BayHawks, Magette actually led the G-League in assists with 10.2 per game and his final per-game numbers were quite impressive – 15.1 PPG, 10.2 APG and 3.3 RPG.

Damion Lee, who made his NBA debut last season with the Hawks at age 25 after playing in the G-League for a few years, played a total of 404 minutes last season for the team in only 15 games (11 starts) and put up 10.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.9 APG and 1.3 SPG.

Lee was one of the few options available on the wing and at the two-guard spot after the Hawks lost various players to injury down the end of the year (Kent Bazemore, Dennis Schroder, DeAndre’ Bembry).

Though he looked pretty good at times, his three-point stroke never fully caught on, as he ended up only connecting on 25 percent of his deep tries with a 39.5 three-point attempt rate – not great for a guard.

Lastly, Malcolm Delaney, who made his NBA debut for Atlanta in 2016-17 at age 28, was never really able to develop his game any further at the highest level, though his time in Atlanta was riddled with injuries.

With a change in leadership at the highest levels for the franchise, it was clear that changes were incoming to the roster, especially after three promising new rookies were added to the team during the NBA Draft on June 21.

Next: Warriors of the East? Thoughts on Hawks 2018 NBA Draft

Though we’re sad to see Magette, Delaney and Lee go – those players do not quite match the Hawks’ timeline, which is all about youth and upside. Lee seems to be the only player that deserved a second look, as his age and skill set is quite malleable and important in today’s NBA.