The Atlanta Hawks are having the same old issues with their backup point guard position that they have had since Trae Young was handed the keys to the franchise in his rookie year. The team has been set up around the way that he plays meaning that without him, the Hawks struggle to produce on offense.
They have tried to rectify this by signing Brandon Goodwin, then they signed Rajon Rondo at the start of last season. This signing could only be described as an epic failure and the Hawks traded him with the LA Clippers, receiving Lou Williams in return. While he helped fix the Hawks’ fourth-quarter issues, he is not a true backup point guard.
Then the Hawks traded Kris Dunn and Bruno Fernando to the Boston Celtics, receiving Tristan Thompson in return. They then flipped him to the Sacramento Kings for Delon Wright, a player who head coach Nate McMillan had been watching with interest for a long time.
Delon Wright has struggled offensively with the Atlanta Hawks
While the Hawks love Wright’s defense, they have not seen enough of his offensive prowess. In the game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Wright showed that he has lost some of his game management ability by not being aware of the shot clock.
Just prior to the end of the first half he passed up an open 3-ball and drove the ball to the hoop. He was saved by the Blazers who fouled him with less than a second on the clock. Also, in the second half, Wright passed up an open shot to pass the ball out to a closely-guarded shooter on the perimeter. These are just two examples of why the Hawks need to trade Wright.
The Atlanta Hawks should look at Ty Jerome
Ty Jerome is in the third year of his career, having spent his rookie year with the Phoenix Suns and then last season with the OKC Thunder. He has really come into his own since moving to the rebuilding team. He has shown that he can create offense for himself and others.
While this trade seems fairly bland, The Thunder will get an experienced combination guard that they can play in conjunction with their young superstars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey. On top of that Wright has only this season left on his deal meaning the Thunder can either try to re-sign him or move him again with some of their draft capital.
The Hawks give up a little bit of future draft capital in order to get a player who could help them win now. Jerome has the ability to be a good 3-point shooter, going at 37.3 percent from beyond the arc for his tenure with the Thunder.
He is also able to create for others, given that he has averaged 2.7 assists per game over the last season and a half. He has also averaged less than 1.0 turnovers per game during his time in the league which will help when Young sits.
The Atlanta Hawks could get two solid players.
The other trade that the Hawks should consider is one involving two players. The Hawks are struggling on the defensive end and they need some help. What better player than one that formed a tremendous partnership with Rudy Gobert and the Utah Jazz in Derrick Favors. They would also get a player who plays in a similar manner to NBA legend Tony Parker, Theo Maledon.
With the emergence of Giddey, the need for Maledon to be on the Thunder’s roster has diminished. This does not lessen what he was able to achieve last season. His 10.1 points and 3.5 assists per game were impressive. He also almost averaged a full 1.0 steals per game as well.
On top of that, the Thunder would not be averse to losing Favors’ $10.1 million contract off the books for next season. They will get Wright’s $8.5 million contract this season and then have greater flexibility for next season.
The Hawks will also have to give something to get something and unfortunately, this is where Cam Reddish comes in. He will be what the Thunder will want in this trade. He has a season left on his deal which is a team option. He also fits the Thunder’s game plan for positionless basketball. While the Hawks may not want to give him up, it could be when they need to get players who will help them win again.