Atlanta Hawks: Envisioning an alternate timeline with RJ Barrett on the team

Atlanta Hawks RJ Barrett implication) The forward rotation

The Hawks were blessed that they only had to give up one first-round pick in the 2019 draft in order to land the talents of De’Andre Hunter. While he has missed a large portion of the 2020-21 season, Hunter has taken a leap this season and is looking like a future cornerstone for the franchise.

His ability to score the ball at three levels on offense and defend any position on the court except center helps the franchise no end. However, if the Hawks had succeeded in trading their two first-round picks for Barrett, they would not have been able to trade up to land Hunter.

This also means that they would not have drafted Cam Reddish whose defensive acumen is off the charts. He also has the ability to play multiple positions on both ends of the floor. So what would happen at the small forward position if these two players were not drafted.

The answer is Kevin Huerter. The 6’7″ wing has been playing the position for part of the year thanks to all the injuries suffered by the Hawks. In this scenario, there is no question that he would start for the franchise.

The other impact is that the Hawks would not have secured the services of Danilo Gallinari. He said last season that he valued winning over money and without the talents of Bogdanovic coming to the franchise, Gallinari would have committed elsewhere.