Atlanta Hawks: 4 Realistic Options Hawks Could Sign in Restricted Free Agency

Trey Lyles

Trey Lyles, the former #12 overall pick of the Utah Jazz in the 2015 NBA Draft, has had something of a down year with the Denver Nuggets. Though the Nuggets have vastly outperformed their preseason expectations, Lyles has seemingly regressed after a fairly impressive third-year campaign last year.

Last year, in the 2017-18 season, Lyles averaged career-highs in minutes per game (19.1), rebounds per  game (4.8), blocks per game (0.5) and points per game (9.9) on a Nuggets team that just barely missed the playoffs by losing the final game of the regular season to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Even more impressively, Lyles produced a career-high in true shooting percentage (59.1) on 21.1 percent usage. His three-point shot was falling at a rock-solid 38.1 percent clip, and he attempted a career-high 218 last season.

This year, each and every one of those numbers is down, except for his usage, which is up slightly. However, that’s not a good sign, as it means he is using up more of his team’s plays and producing less-than-stellar results.

While it sounds like I might be making the case why the Atlanta Hawks shouldn’t look to sign Lyles, the opposite is true. Because he’s having a down year, and the Nuggets have gotten great play from Malik Beasley and Juancho Hernangomez, their need for Lyles is likely nonexistent.

Atlanta should be able to swoop in, as Hawks do, and low-ball Lyles with a solid, if not Earth-shattering, offer. Since his value has been diminished after a down year, he will likely want to sign up for playing alongside one of the best passers in the NBA in Trae Young. If his three-point stroke can return to the form he showed in 17-18, the Hawks might have a steal on their hands.