2 Young players the Hawks should develop, 2 to give up on

The Atlanta Hawks are attempting to walk the finest of lines in the NBA: two timelines.

Each of their four projected returning starters has no less than four years of experience while their bench has just two players with more experience than that – veterans Bogdan Bogdanovic and 2023 offseason acquisition Patty Mills.

This delicate balance is rarely successful for teams looking to contend as the Hawks presumably are given their rumored pursuit of a Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam.

But teams also cannot afford to simply part with all of their young, up-and-coming assets for proven ones, especially teams like the Hawks who, while being an Eastern Conference Finalist just two years ago, have been bounced out of the playoffs in the first round in back-to-back seasons.

So, which youngsters should the Hawks be willing to part with, and which should they keep?

2 players the Atlanta Hawks should develop, 2 they shouldn’t

Develop: AJ Griffin

The No. 20 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, AJ Griffin is an easy choice for a prospect the Hawks should invest in. Standing 6-foot-6 and checking in at 222 pounds, Griffin entered the league with an NBA-ready body to go along with his jump shot.

Griffin averaged 8.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists while shooting 39% from beyond the arc in his first season, and earned himself a spot in NBA history.

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It was still a very rookie-like season in many ways.

He started scorching hot, knocking down 40.8% of his triples over the first 51 games of the season, even drawing 11 starts in that span. But he hit a bit of a wall, connecting on just 32.3% of his deep looks from the February 9 trade deadline on, and was left out of head coach Quin Snyder’s rotations during the five-game playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

AJ Griffin should be a priority for the Atlanta Hawks

Despite his sluggish finish to the season, Griffin is already arguably the second-best three-point shooter on the team behind only Bogdanovic who connected at a 40.6% clip on the season across his 54 appearances with nine starts.

This offseason has also featured reports the Hawks have explored the idea of freeing up minutes for the second-generation NBAer, though.

That takes us right into our first “don’t develop” on the list.

Don’t Develop: De’Andre Hunter

This is pushing it with De’Andre Hunter, 25, being one of those four returning starters since John Collins was traded to the Utah Jazz this offseason in a move that aimed to space under the luxury tax. Hunter has been a part of three playoff trips and has averaged over 30 minutes per game in each of them.

A former No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Hunter is the highest-drafted player on the Hawks’ roster. That is a lofty status on a team that also has Trae Young and Dejounte Murray among others.

Hunter averaged a career-high 15.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting 35% on deep looks while making a career-high 67 appearances this past season.

He posted a 16.7/5.7/1.2 line on .459/.368/.800 efficiency in six playoff games.

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The 6-foot-8 wing is starting a four-year, $90 million contract extension – which he received from former team president Travis Schlenk, not current general manager Landry Fields – next season which has sparked a slew of trade rumors. Hunter has essentially taken Collins’ place in that dubious regard.

The Hawks have already explored trading De’Andre Hunter

He is the player the Hawks were considering moving out to make way for Griffin hence Hunter’s spot on this list. Griffin might be the better shooter, a must with a pair of star guards that like to get into the painted area.

But Hunter – who has a 7-foot-2 wingspan – is the superior and, in theory, more versatile defender of the two.

Every decision comes with a consequence, though, and the Hawks may be ready for that one.

Develop: Onyeka Okongwu

The second-highest drafted player on the Hawks’ roster is Young, selected No. 5 overall in the
2018 NBA Draft. But right behind him is backup big man Onyeka Okongwu, the No. 6 overall pick in 2020.

Okongwu, 22, averaged 9.9 points, 7.2 boards, 1.0 assists, and 1.3 blocks in 2022-23. The former USC standout appeared in 80 games – 26 more than his previous career-high set during his rookie campaign. He also made good on his vow to come back with a usable jumper, as evidenced by his 56 attempts from the mid-range and 13 three-pointers taken.

He had zero attempts of either variety in 2021-22.

There are a couple of issues, though. First, the Hawks are facing a time crunch with Okongwu extension eligible this offseason.

That means the team still controls the situation next offseason but their last few forays into the extension market have yielded mixed results with six Hawks receiving new money from the team who were on the 2021 team that made the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Hawks have a looming decision to make on Onyeka Okongwu

Of those six, two have already been traded – Collins and Kevin Huerter (to the Sacramento Kings) – while the other four have all been mired in trade rumors at some point.

That includes Young.

The other issue is the Hawks have Clint Capela from a potent starting lineup under contract for the next two years on a $46 million extension signed in the aftermath of that ECF run. Capela also happens to be one of Young’s top passing targets, though the idea of moving him has still gained steam within the organization, according to reports.

Don’t develop: Saddiq Bey

Whereas the Hawks might want to be proactive with Okongwu, regardless of which direction they decide to go, patience might be in order when it comes to forward Saddiq Bey whom they acquired at the trade deadline in February.

Bey, 24, averaged 11.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists and shot a clean 40% from deep in 25 appearances (seven starts) with the Hawks.

At 6-foot-7, 215 pounds, he too offers an intriguing frame for the position.

But it is also clearer what he is as a player than, say, Griffin, or even Jalen Johnson who figures to be Bey’s primary competition for the starting power forward job vacated by Collins. Bey should have the leg up over the third-year man, Johnson, as the former Detroit Piston started 164 out of 204 possible games before joining the Hawks. including all 82 games in 2021-22.

The Hawks have players with higher upside than Saddiq Bey

Bey is not a great defender despite his stature or billing coming out of college at Villanova, and even his three-point shooting could be a bit of a mirage. He shot 38% on three-pointers as a rookie.

But he shot just 34.6% for the Pistons in 2021-22 and was shooting 34.5% this past season before being traded.

Could the new locale return him to that peak, or beyond as he flashed last season? Sure.

The Hawks should let the season play out before making rash decisions, though, especially with all of the others they could be considering between now and even just the start of the season, let alone the trade deadline in February.