Re-grading the Atlanta Hawks trade for Delon Wright at the All-Star break
The Atlanta Hawks needed to make a change over the offseason. Kris Dunn’s contract was a dead weight on the Hawks cap sheet and the Hawks needed to find a player who could impact the game every time that he hit the court on both ends of the floor.
As a result, the Hawks sent Dunn and Bruno Fernando to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Tristan Thompson. They then included the Sacramento Kings in the deal which meant that they sent Thompson to the Kings and received Delon Wright in return.
Head Coach Nate McMillan has reportedly been a fan of Wright’s since his time with the Toronto Raptors. However, it was a little confusing when McMillan was not playing Wright at the start of the season, preferring to go with Lou Williams instead. When Wright was given time he formed a very promising second-unit backcourt with Williams.
Delon Wright has worked hard to get into the Atlanta Hawks rotation
After not getting regular playing time at the start of the season, Wright worked his way into the rotation on the back of his defense. As has been stated a number of times, defense is about effort and the Hawks loved what Wright bought to the table.
However, it has not been all smooth sailing for the veteran. During the Hawks losing streaks Wright was seen to be the issue for the losses as the Hawks offensive production always decreased massively when superstar point guard Trae Young went to the bench. There were calls for the Hawks to look for a trade to help the franchise at the backup point guard position.
The problem is that Wright does not have the first step needed to beat his opponents off the dribble with consistency and this makes it harder to make plays. However, the trade of Cam Reddish was the making of Wright this season for the Hawks. He has led the second unit with more confidence since the talented wing was traded.
Wright has stepped into the starting lineup when required and the Hawks have a 2-3 record which shows that he can step up as required. He is also sacrificing his game for the good of the team, helping on the glass when John Collins was out. When Wright misses the Hawks have a 1-4 record which shows some of his value.
Next. Regrading the Gorgui Dieng signing. dark
If anyone expected Wright to come in and be a dynamic scorer who could take over the second unit when Young was on the bench, continuing his offensive brilliance, their expectations need to be lowered. Wright has shown that he is willing to fit into a system and work according to what the Atlanta Hawks needs.
Trade Re-Grade: B+