It's common knowledge at this point, but man, the Atlanta Hawks know how to develop players.
If the organization winning back-to-back Most Improved Players wasn't enough proof, maybe the upcoming campaign for one of their newest additions will be the icing on the cake. Third time's the charm, even if the first two were undeniable successes.
After the official departure of Jonathan Kuminga - finally heading to the Minnesota Timberwolves after one of the offseason's longest sagas - a player for the Hawks who was already expected to have a large role just became even more important.
Maybe, just maybe, he can be the Kuminga replacement Atlanta needs.
Aaron Wiggins could be the long-term answer in Kuminga's rotation spot
Oh, how quickly they forget...
The Atlanta Hawks got the wild offseason of movement started for the entire league. When everything went dry, Onsi Saleh got active. Just before draft night, he acquired Aaron Wiggins from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for just two future second-round picks.
It's incredibly difficult to pass up on the opportunity to acquire a proven winner for a cost that low-risk. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Wiggins was a vital piece to Oklahoma City's championship run in 2025.
A positionless contributor is invaluable in today's NBA. Wiggins can fit anywhere on the wing, and help Atlanta in a variety of ways on both ends. Need an outside shooting boost? He's the guy. A final piece to a defensive death lineup? Insert Wiggins.
He gives the Hawks everything they need in the second unit, and also thrives at a key area that Kuminga also did. They're both beasts in transition. With how quickly the Hawks are known to play, it should make his transition to a bigger role much more suitable. Especially early.
Hawks got glimpses of what they needed in Kuminga's short tenure
It's crazy what just 22 games can expose about a team's structure.
Contrary to popular league-wide belief, the Hawks aren't too far off from contention. By acquiring Jonathan Kuminga just before last season's trade deadline, they were able to get an answer to one of their biggest weaknesses. Second-unit aggressiveness, that is.
A quick, high-flying, defensively-gifted forward who can change a game's momentum in the blink of an eye. Sounds a lot like who the Hawks just let walk in free agency, but it also closely resembles one of their newest additions.
Aaron Wiggins should fit right in.
Add us as a preferred source on Google