Three-point sniper Dāvis Bertāns could help the Atlanta Hawks in a big way.
The Atlanta Hawks’ off-season is going to be a very interesting one. If only if it was coming sooner. With the NBA returning to play in late July, free agency and the NBA Draft have been moved to October, and the Hawks should play a key role in both of those events.
Atlanta has been stingy in the past few off-seasons when it comes to signing free agents, as the expectation was never to win a bunch of games. Now with a legit nucleus of young studs, the Hawks are ready to win, and they have the money to do it.
No team will enter the 2020 free agency period with more cap space than the Hawks, the excitement of which is offset by the fact that this free-agent class is pretty weak. That makes it a seller’s market, and the big names that are available are set to cash out.
One notable free-agent-to-be is Dāvis Bertāns, who has been in the news recently. The Washington forward announced he would be skipping the rest of the ’19-’20 season in Orlando, despite the Wizards still having a puncher’s chance at the playoffs.
Bertāns’ reasoning is clear – he’s just about to receive what’s likely to be his only big-time payday in the NBA. The Latvian Laser is 27 years old, is coming off a breakout season, and has suffered two ACL injuries already in his career. While he could certainly be a solid contributor still, it’s unlikely he’ll be in line for major money again in four years.
While his asking price will probably be a lot, perhaps too much, the Atlanta Hawks should do everything they can to sign Bertāns this fall.
As a Wizard this season, he should his worth as a high-volume sixth man. He shot 42 percent from three, which is even more impressive given the amount (8.7 percent) and difficulty of shots he takes.
He often fires from ranges that would impress Trae Young and after flying around screens. The 6’10 sharpshooter would be a perfect recipient of Young’s uber-accurate passes and they would make of the league’s best beyond the arch duos.
John Collins‘ backup power forward spot is up for grabs and Bertāns could theoretically slide to the three if he wants to become a start instead of the bench piece he’s been his whole career.
Many teams will be calling Bertāns’ agent this summer, but the Atlanta Hawks need to make him a priority. He’s the rare player that’s worth over-paying, especially in this free agency class.
Should the Atlanta Hawks sign Dāvis Bertāns?