Finding one player the Atlanta Hawks could sign from the Los Angeles Lakers.
Moving to L.A to continue our series of finding one player from every team the Atlanta Hawks could sign this off-season. Anthony Davis will likely opt-out of his deal, making him not only the biggest free agent of this season but the biggest free agent in a few years.
He’ll almost certainly be agreeing to a long-term deal with the Lakers, however, killing the hopes of every other team adding the MVP candidate. There are a few other players the Hawks could sign away from L.A this fall, including Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
KCP also has a player option he’ll need to opt-out of to hit the open market, but at 27 years old, he’ll likely be looking for what may be his last long-term deal.
While Caldwell-Pope has been a punching bag for most of his time with the Lakers, his play did improve this season. He shot a career-high 39 percent from deep, plays mistake-free defense, and has an underrated handle that makes him into a combo guard.
The Hawks have the cap space to offer him enough cash to pry him from Hollywood, and it’s easy to imagine KCP as either a sixth man or Atlanta’s new starting shooting guard. Kevin Huerter failed to show improvement as a sophomore after a solid first season, and he may project better as a bench piece anyways.
Pope fits the bill of a two-way, secondary playmaker which the Hawks need to add to their backcourt this off-season. His veteran presence and playoff experience (from the Orlando Bubble) would be valued by the young Atlanta Hawks.
With Avery Bradley and Rajon Rondo both out of the Orlando return to play, Caldwell-Pope will be on full display later this month, and he could play himself into or out of a big contract. If the price is right, the Hawks should be looking to add him to the team.
Should the Atlanta Hawks sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope?