Should the Atlanta Hawks look at pursuing Jalen Brunson?

The Atlanta Hawks are potentially looking to upgrade their roster next season. Firstly they need to look for a second star given how they struggled during the Miami Heat series. The Heat managed to stop Trae Young and as a result, the Hawks struggled.

It is impossible to tell how much the series was impacted with Lou Williams sitting on the sidelines through injury. However, this leads to the question of who is the Hawks’ secondary playmaker moving forward. Delon Wright is a tremendous defender who can make plays but was unable to really impact the series offensively. Kevin Huerter also struggled throughout the series.

This is where the Hawks may be able to add a player like Jalen Brunson who had a true breakout series against the Utah Jazz. The Dallas Mavericks lost Luka Doncic for the start of the series due to an injury that could have seen them in trouble. Instead of this case, Brunson stood up until Doncic came back, helping the Mavericks close out the series.

The Atlanta Hawks could use a player like Jalen Brunson.

When I say that Brunson had a breakout series, he averaged 27.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 38.0 minutes per game. He has never averaged more than 16.3 points per game over his career prior to this series.

Brunson is used to playing alongside a high-usage point guard in Doncic, which would allow him to play alongside Young. The biggest issue with this would be that both players are 6’1″ which leaves them terribly undersized on the defensive end.

However, if the two of them can work it out offensively, then Brunson could be a secondary creator alongside Young. He could also play an off-the-ball role thanks to his 37.3 percent shooting from beyond the 3-point line. Brunson could also run the second unit on the offensive end leaving Delon Wright to defend at his usual high level.

One of the biggest issues for the Hawks signing Brunson is the level of competition that they face. Reportedly the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks are interested in the point guard. This is not to mention the fact that the Mavericks will want their fourth-year man back in the fold.

In order to secure the services of Brunson, the Hawks will need to free up some cap space, which they need to do to sign their second star. Any way you look at it, it would be a really good decision for the Hawks to sign Brunson.