The Atlanta Hawks had a very active run-up to the 2023 NBA Draft in the rumor mill.
On top of rumors that they were eyeing a trade up into the top 10 – which general manager Landry Fields later confirmed – there was also chatter that they were looking to move off some of their heftier contracts to avoid paying into the luxury tax next season. The Hawks are currently on track to pay more than $8 million into the tax.
“There are still a handful of trade candidates that could be on the move with money matters in mind, most notably in Atlanta,” wrote Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports on June 23. “There were…significant talks between Atlanta and Detroit about moving [De’Andre] Hunter to the Pistons.”
Hunter’s name has come up more often in this transaction window as he starts a four-year, $90 million contract extension.
The 24-year-old Hunter is the highest draft pick on the roster, taken No. 4 overall in 2019.
He averaged 15.4 points on 56.3% true shooting with 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists. And, while he was only the seventh most-efficient Hawk from beyond the arc this past season shooting 35.0%, only two players – Saddiq Bey and Bogdan Bogdanovic – shot better and did so on more volume than Hunter.
In a league that is heavily oriented toward wings, Hunter certainly has value on the trade market as a player who can play both ends of the floor. Hunter has even flashed the ability to create offense for himself.
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The concerns begin with his declining stats as the year went on.
Hunter went from 15.9 points and shooting 35.6% from deep pre-All-Star break to 14.5 points per game and shooting 29.2% from three after, specifically after Quin Snyder took over. His assists also just narrowly outnumber his turnovers (1.2). He has also dealt with durability issues missing no fewer than 15 games in any season,
He made a career-high 67 appearances this past season.
Atlanta Hawks’ De’Andre Hunter mired in trade rumors
This is the second deal for Hunter with an Eastern Conference rival that was gaining steam before the draft.
“The Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks were making headway on a deal that would have sent De’Andre Hunter to the Pacers,” wrote Fischer on June 22 noting that the discussions “ultimately broke apart.”
Indiana is said to have mulled offering up a package of swingman Chris Duarte and draft picks while Atlanta is said to be eyeing a Hunter trade to create more opportunity for AJ Griffin. But, per Fischer, the Hawks’ plethora of wings isn’t the only subject of nixed deals.
Atlanta Hawks big men bounced around in trade rumors
“The Hawks also re-engaged the Jazz about trading John Collins to Utah,” noted Fischer. “But no deals for Atlanta’s veterans ever materialized.”
Collins, 26, has been linked to half the league if not more after nearly three years of trade speculation and is heading into the third year of a five-year, $125 million contract. It is no longer his salary alone that has been suppressing his trade market but also that he is coming off his worst statistical season as a pro averaging 13.1 points and 6.5 rebounds this past season.
His three-point efficiency also cratered to 29.2%, belying his gains on the defensive end.
An earlier report from Fischer noted that the Hawks appeared to be operating under a tiered system of valuing their players with Trae Young the lone player not on the table followed by a nearly-equally off-limits Dejounte Murray and then the rest of the team.
It would still seem that they are valuing all of their players highly, or at least highly enough to not risk coming out on the losing end of a lopsided deal such as trading for prospects can be.
The Hawks were also rumored to be in talks with the Dallas Mavericks on a deal for Clint Capela that would have landed them the No. 10 overall pick and, perhaps, a shot a Duke big man Dereck Lively II but Dallas pivoted to landing Richaun Holmes from the Sacramento Kings and landed Lively in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder who selected him with the No. 12 overall pick.
Atlanta landed Michigan guard Kobe Bufkin with the No. 15 overall pick.
He should slot in as the backup point guard and split minutes behind Murray with Bogdanovic and Griffin, though the latter may play there less with the rookie’s arrival.