Atlanta Hawks: Ranking 6 Best Trade Assets on the Team
By Chris Guest
Justin Anderson
Acquired this offseason in the Dennis Schröder/Carmelo Anthony deal that also sent Mike Muscala to the 76ers, Justin Anderson has not played a whole lot for this Hawks team this season – mostly due to the fact he was recovering from injury to start the season.
However, in his 92 minutes played Anderson has conveyed his trademark defensive intensity, as he currently ranks 25th overall among shooting guards in ESPN’s defensive real plus/minus.
At 25 years old, Anderson cannot really be considered a young player anymore – especially not with 19-year-olds like Luka Doncic, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Kevin Knox running roughshod over the league, but Anderson knows where to be on defense and if his three-point shot can ever get a little more consistent (currently shooting 17.6 percent on 17 total attempts), Anderson would make for a useful player for many teams in the league.
As a trade asset, Anderson has value as a throw-in or sweetener for any deal that might get done before this year’s trade deadline or this offseason, as he is only due $3.6 million for the final year of his rookie deal next season.
Though Anderson serves as a solid trade chip, it’s doubtful that any teams are prioritizing his acquisition under any circumstance.