The Atlanta Hawks traded Vit Krecji to the Portland Trail Blazers for Duop Reath and two second round picks, per Shams Charania.
Pistol Vit was a fan favorite in Atlanta. When he was acquired from the Thunder, Krejci could not shoot to save his life. But by some miracle, his three point percentage jumped by 10% in his second season in a Hawks uniform. The Czech point forward became a regular fixture in the rotation over the past two seasons and single-handedly lifted the team to a victory over the Clippers in what was perhaps Atlanta’s most exciting game this season.
Krejci is in the midst of a career year from deep, averaging 9.0 points a game in an elevated role this season. He’s increased his 3pt attempts per 100 possessions by 30% and is still shooting a remarkable 42.3% on these shots.
Unfortunately for Krejci, there was no room in the rotation for him. With Luke Kennard and Corey Kispert also on the lineup as sharpshooters with limited defensive capabilities, one of the three had to go. Krejci is clearly the weakest player of the three, although his incredibly team-friendly deal suggested that perhaps there was reason to roster him.
Reath is a perfect fit… but he won’t play this season
Had this trade been conducted last week, I would’ve marked this as a resounding win for the Hawks. Reath is a player with some truly tantalizing potential as a stretch five with rim-protecting potential. On an Atlanta squad with exactly zero healthy centers on NBA contracts as of today, Reath would be a welcome addition and could earn serious developmental reps.
Last Thursday, however, Reath was diagnosed with a season-ending stress fracture in his right foot. He will enter restricted free agency this offseason, where the Hawks can opt to retain his contract. Reath’s future market, however, is as unclear as ever. Don’t necessarily expect Atlanta to re-sign him this offseason, but do expect them to at least try to negotiate a deal.
The real value of this trade was acquiring two second round picks: the Hawks in 2027 and the Knicks in 2030.
It is impossible to predict the value of these picks given the fickle nature of the second round and how far removed we are from those respective drafts. Still, the price feels a little light for a player as talented as Krejci.
I trust that this was the best offer out there – Onsi Saleh is no Nico Harrison. If this were indeed the best offer, however, the Hawks could benefit from retaining Krejci. The man started for ATL less than a month ago. To trade him for two seconds and a player with both an expiring contract and a season-ending injury feels like a premature move.