The Atlanta Hawks could solve two long-standing issues with one player this offseason, and a new prediction would see them do just that with Nickeil Alexander-Walker of the Minnesota Timberwolves in free agency.
Alexander-Walker, the cousin of Oklahoma City Thunder star and MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, showed well this past season and in the playoffs.
He would alleviate the Hawks’ need for a backup point guard and bench shooting.
“Alexander-Walker may be the most attainable, still young (almost 27), unrestricted free-agent 3-and-D wing on the market,” Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus wrote on June 18. “Minnesota has a hefty payroll before deciding on potential free agents Julius Randle and Naz Reid. It may not have a long-term solution at point guard.
“Competing executives may want to test the Timberwolves' appetite for another hefty deal, gambling that Minnesota trusts Terrence Shannon Jr. (24) to handle that responsibility at a cheaper price.”
Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch has already said Shannon will take on a larger role in the rotation next season.
The Timberwolves also spent their first-round pick last year on point guard Rob Dillingham.
As Pincus noted, Alexander-Walker’s unrestricted free agent status gives him final say over where he lands this offseason. However, “few teams” have the flexibility to pay him what he could otherwise command.
The Hawks, who have access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception that is worth over $14 million, are in that select group.
Hawks can take prudent approach to backup PG problem
The Hawks’ offense ranked in the 73rd percentile in on-off efficiency differential with Young on the floor and plummeted to the 23rd without him in 2024-25, per Cleaning The Glass. Their defense improved from the 35th percentile to the 63rd.
However, the offensive drop-off does not allow them to take advantage of their defensive improvement.
Alexander-Walker could help.
The Timberwolves’ offense ranked in the 72nd percentile in on-off diff with him on the floor and in the 63rd percentile without. Moreover, their defense rose from the 75th percentile to the 81st when he entered the fray.
Alexander-Walker averaged 9.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting 38.1% from beyond the arc.
He sported an 8.3/2.3/1.8 line in the postseason, knocking down 34.9% of his triples.
That diverse skill set is going to make him an attractive target, so the Hawks could have to put up a fight to land him. However, Alexander-Walker would be an upgrade for the backup PG/bench scorer role for the Hawks over incumbents Kobe Bufkin and Terance Mann.
Mann has battle injuries over his first two seasons. Mann operates best off the ball, but also offers plenty of two-way appeal.
If the Hawks fail to upgrade their PG spot in the draft next week, free agency could be the key.