The Atlanta Hawks are going to make changes this offseason. After an unexpected run to the Eastern Conference Finals two seasons ago locked them into a middling head coach and unreasonably high expectations, the Hawks have barely clawed their way into the playoffs the last two years and flamed out quickly against vastly superior foes.
That’s the road map to organizational change. It’s come from the top down in Atlanta, with Landry Fields taking over the front office and Quin Snyder replacing Nate McMillan as head coach. As the Hawks look over the free agent landscape, could they use Snyder’s connections with players around the league to bring in some free agent talent?
Absolutely they can. It happens all of the time; last summer, former Houston Rockets executive Daryl Morey signed P.J. Tucker, Danuel House and Trevelin Queen. Tom Thibodeau has brought in a number of his former players on the Chicago Bulls to the New York Knicks, including Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson.
Which players who formerly played for Quin Snyder could be free-agent targets for the Atlanta Hawks? Let’s look at a decemvirate of options, beginning with a veteran combo forward to shore up the bench.
Free agent target No. 10: Jeff Green, Forward
The definition of an NBA journeyman, Jeff Green has played for 11 franchises across 12 cities in his 14-year career. That included a stop in Utah in 2019-20, when he played for Quin Snyder and the Jazz.
Green is still very athletic despite being 36 years old, and he has continued to maintain a rotation spot on the best team in the Western Conference this season. The Denver Nuggets might elect to re-sign him, but if not he could be a strong signing at the minimum for the Hawks to add a veteran voice and shore up their frontcourt rotation.
Free agent target No. 9: Raul Neto, Point Guard
Not being able to score is certainly a hindrance to a long NBA career, but point guard Raul Neto has managed to carve out a niche in the league despite his limited scoring abilities. The seven-year veteran is a tough defender, good facilitator and excellent teammate, which helps to offset his shaky perimeter shot and lack of on-ball creation skills.
The Brazilian guard first got his start in the league with the Utah Jazz, with Quin Snyder even giving him 53 starts as a rookie in 2015-16. He spent four years in Utah before he began to ping around the league, providing a steady hand and a defensive pest at the point of attack.
This season Neto has been the third point guard on the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he is a good candidate not to be retained as they look for a younger option for the spot. If so, the Atlanta Hawks are a logical landing spot. He can reunite with his former coach and fill the third point guard position.
This season that role was held by Aaron Holiday, who did very little of value with it. Neto could fill that spot and know exactly what Snyder wants from him.
Free agent target No. 8: Mike Muscala, Big
Every other player on this list can trace their connection with Quin Snyder back to the Utah Jazz. Snyder was the head coach of the Jazz for eight full seasons, so it makes sense that he has connections with a lot of players. His link to Mike Muscala, however, dates back even further to the 2013-14 Atlanta Hawks.
That’s right, Quin Snyder used to be with the Hawks, an assistant coach under Mike Budenholzer. The season before the Hawks exploded for 60 wins, Snyder was on Budenholzer’s staff at the same time that Mike Muscala was starting his career with the Hawks.
As a rookie Muscala didn’t have much of a role, but he was honing his unique set of skills that would lead to a long career, nine seasons and counting. Muscala is stout enough at 6’10” to play center, but his best offensive skill is his perimeter shot. NBA teams love to have a stretch-5 in their back pocket, and that has resulted in a series of contracts to stick around the league.
Muscala is currently on the Boston Celtics and heading for free agency. If Muscala wants a team with a larger potential role, the Atlanta Hawks could have one if they move on from Clint Capela this offseason. Even if they don’t, having a stretch-5 gives them a different look behind Capela and Onyeka Okongwu, and he could value a reunion with his old coach.
Free agent target No. 7: Rudy Gay, Forward
It seems surprising in one direction or another that Rudy Gay has played for five teams in his 16-year career. The former No. 8 pick back in the 2009 NBA Draft is now 36 years old, and he has played for a myriad of coaches during his career. One of the most recent ones was Quin Snyder.
Gay signed with the Utah Jazz in 2021 and played under Snyder for one season, appearing in 55 games as a combo forward off the bench. He has had a similarly small role this year and looks primed to move on and try to find a spot on another team in the twilight of his career.
There was a time when Gay was one of the better on-ball scorers in the league, using his size and strength to overwhelm smaller defenders. He averaged at least 18 points per game in nine different seasons throughout his career. Unfortunately, his efficiency has taken a hit as he has aged, and last year he shot just 38 percent from the field and 25.4 percent from 3-point range.
If Snyder thinks he can help Gay rediscover his shot, having another shot creator off the bench, even in a small role, would be valuable. Gay will be available on a veteran’s minimum, and his connection to Snyder could bring him to Atlanta.
Free agent target No. 6: Georges Niang, Forward
In January of 2018, the Utah Jazz took a chance on an undersized power forward named Georges Niang. Signed to a two-way contract after being waived by multiple other teams, Niang’s grip on the league was tenuous. His head coach, Quin Snyder, saw something in Niang and helped to unlock it.
Fast forward five years later, and Niang has become a valued rotation player on a number of successful playoff teams. He has shot 40 percent or better from 3-point range for five straight seasons, a plug-and-play stretch four who isn’t overwhelmed on defense.
Niang hasn’t elevated to the level of starting, but he has been firmly in the rotation on perennial playoff teams. His shooting makes him a fit in a number of lineups, and the eye test just screams that when Niang is on the court good things happen – he’s that sort of player.
Niang’s consistent play should earn him a reasonable payday in free agency, and the Atlanta Hawks could be the right landing spot for him. He would reunite with his former head coach and join a team that will be looking for frontcourt depth in an offseason where they will likely shake some things up.
Free agent target No. 5: Jordan Clarkson, Guard
Our list begins to make a transition, from fringe rotation players to core targets in free agency. That starts with Jordan Clarkson, a player who saw a tremendous amount of success under Quin Snyder and could look for a reunion this summer.
Clarkson went from second-round pick to consistent producer with the Los Angeles Lakers to start his career, and then he was moved to the Cleveland Cavaliers during LeBron James’ final season there (so that the Lakers could clear cap space to sign LeBron the following summer; the NBA is wild). While his shotmaking was valuable in Cleveland, it wasn’t until his third stop that Clarkson truly thrived.
He arrived in Utah in 2020 and blossomed into the Sixth Man of the Year, averaging 18.4 points per game in 2020-21 while starting just a single game. He refined his on-ball scoring ability and bombed away from long-range. This year, with Donovan Mitchell gone, Clarkson stepped into the starting lineup and averaged 20.8 points per game, a career-high.
Clarkson will be looking for a payday this summer. As the roster stands now, there isn’t space for a player like Clarkson on the Atlanta Hawks. That spot could open up if the team trades Trae Young, however, and suddenly Clarkson’s skillset looks much more valuable alongside Dejounte Murray. It’s not a high-probability possibility, which is why he sits at No. 5 on this list, but the connection to Quin Snyder could make it happen if things play out a certain way.
Free agent target No. 4: Trey Lyles, Big
Trey Lyles spent much of his early career being the “fun fact” attached to other star players. Fun fact: Trey Lyles was the player the Denver Nuggets got back when they traded back and let the Utah Jazz draft Donovan Mitchell. Or, fun fact: Trey Lyles was drafted No. 12 overall in 2015, one pick ahead of his Kentucky teammate Devin Booker.
What has happened in the last couple of seasons, however, is that Lyles has started to find his niche in the league. When the Utah Jazz drafted him he bore the upside of a star at power forward, a player who could carve out a Carlos Boozer-like role, scoring 20 and grabbing 10 rebounds.
That wasn’t in the cards for Lyles, but he has worked hard over a journeyman career to improve his shooting, become a better defender and earn a consistent role in this league. The Sacramento Kings traded for him last season and he has played in nearly every game since, a key rotation player on one of the league’s most successful teams this year.
The Atlanta Hawks will be looking for frontcourt help this offseason, especially if they find a way to move on from John Collins or De’Andre Hunter. Lyles represents an underrated target, a player who can space the floor and crash the glass while not compromising the defense. He would be an excellent fit with Onyeka Okongwu on bench units, and his connection to his first NBA coach could be the carrot that draws him in.
Free agent target No. 3: Joe Ingles, Wing
In his long period as head coach of the Utah Jazz, Quin Snyder’s biggest success story might be Joe Ingles. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert became stars in Utah, but they very likely would have reached that point or something similar on other teams. What Snyder did discovering and developing Joe Ingles seems to be unique.
Ingles was on his way home to Australia after being waived by the LA CLippers when the Utah Jazz claimed him off of waivers and brought him on board. Right away Snyder inserted him into his rotation, starting the veteran rookie (Ingles was 27) in 32 games.
Ingles’ combination of size, passing and shooting made him an excellent swiss army knife, a player who could be plugged into multiple lineups. Some years Ingles was a starter, in others the Sixth Man unlocking bench lineups, but under Quin Snyder he was always a key player for the Jazz.
This season Ingles has played for the Milwaukee Bucks after recovering from a knee injury last season, continuing his career of playing roles on great teams. Ingles could very well win his first title this season, and elect to re-sign with the Bucks. If not, however, a reunion with Snyder would make all the sense in the world.
Free agent target No. 2: Alec Burks, Guard
The 2022-23 Detroit Pistons were an abysmal team on both ends of the court, but don’t blame Alex Burks for that. The veteran combo guard has had one of the best seasons of his career as he sought to prop up the Pistons’ offense, shooting with career-best efficiency despite the lack of offensive talent around him.
Burks has bounced around the league over the past few seasons, playing for six teams in five years, but before that he started his career with Quin Snyder and the Utah Jazz. Burks played 7.5 seasons for the Jazz, serving as their bench gunner before they acquired Jordan Clarkson.
The former Colorado Buffaloes star never carved out a starting role in the league, but he has refined his game as a bench scorer. In the 2021 playoffs he was the only player on the New York Knicks who could score against the Atlanta Hawks. Perhaps that memory, paired with Snyder’s connections to Burks, could fuel a connection this summer.
Burks could be the answer for a scoring guard behind Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, but he perhaps makes even more sense if the Hawks trade Young, start Bogdanovic and need someone to fill in behind them. Either way, there is a path to Burks landing in Atlanta and continuing his crafty scoring ways.
Free agent target No. 1: Jae Crowder, Forward
Here we bring together the perfect combination of player value, fit on the Hawks and connection to head coach Quin Snyder. In 2018 Crowder was traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Utah Jazz, and he would play 107 games with the Jazz over the next season-plus.
Crowder’s career has been a bit up-and-down, but he has established himself over the past few seasons as a key player for contending teams. He is a tough defender, capable of playing at the 3 or the 4, and is not afraid to get up a high volume of 3-point attempts. It was in Utah under Quin Snyder that Crowder increased his shooting volume, something he has continued since to maximize his value to a team.
The Milwaukee Bucks traded for Jae Crowder at the NBA Trade Deadline this year, and he is playing a key rotation role on their title-contending team. While they may wish to re-sign Crowder this summer, the new CBA could limit their spending flexibility. If Crowder hits the market, Snyder could appeal to their relationship to help bring him in.
The Hawks could benefit from a player like Jae Crowder, who is something akin to what De’Andre Hunter was supposed to be. If they can move on from John Collins, Crowder would be an option to start at the 4, giving this team some much-needed spacing without compromising the defense. Quin Snyder’s connections leaguewide could help in free agency, and Crowder looks like the best candidate for Snyder to utilize that leverage.