The Atlanta Hawks have left themselves with a seemingly simple decision to upgrade their backcourt this offseason following their previous trades and the 2025 NBA Draft. But ESPN’s Bobby Marks suggests taking that upgrade a step further.
Marks, who spent two decades in the Brooklyn Nets’ front office, identified not one, but two targets for the Hawks and their array of exceptions.
The targets? Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a popular link, but also Ty Jerome.
“In two separate transactions, use part of the non-tax midlevel exception to sign Jerome to a three-year, $35 million contract,” Marks wrote on June 28. “The Hawks then use part of their $13.1 million trade exception and acquire Alexander-Walker in a sign-and-trade from Minnesota. As part of the trade, Atlanta sends two future seconds.”
Jerome, who turns 28 in July, averaged a career-high 12.5 points with 3.4 assists, and 2.5 rebounds with the Cleveland Cavaliers last season. His rising star dimmed a bit in the playoffs, but that may have been as much a function of being miscast in his role as anything else.
He was also collegiate teammates with former Hawks wing DeAndre Hunter, which was a big storyline when the Hawks traded the latter to the Cleveland Cavaliers before the 2025 deadline.
The Cavaliers acquired Lonzo Ball in a trade with the Chicago Bulls on June 28.
That and their decision to re-sign wing Sam Merill on a four-year, $38 million deal appear to have signaled the end of Jerome’s tenure. He would give the Hawks a secondary ball-handler behind Trae Young.
Young veteran Vit Krejci, who is a 6-foot-8 wing that can operate on the ball, and 2023 first-round pick Kobe Bufkin are the only options under contract as of June 28.
The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer reported on June 28 that Jerome is seeking $14.1 million.
Hawks have $25 million ace up their sleeve
Whether that is an issue for the Hawks puts even more emphasis on their potentially targeting Alexander-Walker, whose tenure with the Minnesota Timberwolves has been similarly impacted by their decision to re-sign big man Naz Reid to a five-year, $125 million contract.
“The Clippers, Hawks and Magic have all continued to be mentioned as possible destinations for the scrappy 3-and-D guard,” Fischer wrote, adding the Detroit Pistons to the list.
That is where the Hawks’ trump cared – a $25.3 million traded player exception – comes in.
The Hawks can offer Alexander-Walker or any other preferred target, more than the NTMLE in a sign-and-trade while still guaranteeing them a three-year deal. That is the minimum term length for any such transaction.
The Hawks can also use that TPE to take on a contract perceived as bad, along with draft capital, and could even end up with a still-useful player that way.
There is a moratorium on new business in the NBA until July 6.
That is when the Hawks can officially process their trade for Kristaps Porzingis, and there will likely be a flurry of moves around the league with veteran players agreeing to deals with new teams.