De'Andre Hunter draws telling comments form Quin Snyder after Hawks' win

Since returning from his 10-game absence due to a knee injury and the birth of his child, Atlanta Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter has been on a tear.

Hunter, the oft-maligned former No. 4 overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, is averaging 18.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game in his seven appearances. He missed one game in that span, sitting out of the second contest following his return.

Hunter is slashing .484/.409/.880 in that span.

Following his 23-point, 5-rebound, 3-assist effort versus the Cleveland Cavaliers – in which he shot 58.3% overall and was 4-for-7 on 3P – Hawks head coach Quin Snyder praised Hunter.

“He's pretty important, obviously, right? Put an exclamation point on that,” Snyder told reporters when asked directly on November 30. “I think it',s as much as anything, the way that he's playing. I don't think he gets enough credit for all the little things that he does, in part, because there are a lot of times they're not as visible. 

“He's always in the right place defensively. He's just a warrior. And when you say that, those are guys that just bring it not just every game, but all game long. And he's really embraced shooting the 3. And I think with his size, it's almost like he – and he's worked on it. Coach [Antonio] Lang and him working on shooting it quick where it's tough to block it –  like a contested three for him is a good shot. 

“Coupled with him really, I think, getting out in transition and attacking the rim, he'll end up – you don't always end up at the rim," Snyder said. "But his physicality, if he does get to a midrange, he's open. And he's doing a heck of a job. He's a guy that … I feel lucky to coach.”

That is all incredibly notable. Why? 

Hunter was one of the most rumored trade candidates on the Hawks roster this past offseason, and the chatter figured to continue if he returned from his absence and struggled.

He is already in a far different role than anyone would have imagined when he entered the league, coming off the bench behind rookie No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher. But Hunter has thrived with that as well.

The most encouraging part is that he went into the hiatus scoring well and stayed hot.

In Year 2 of a four-year, $90 million contract extension, Hunter seems like a prime trade candidate for a cap-conscious front office.

However, his performance and impact along with Snyder’s sentiments would seem to work well with the Hawks’ overall youth movement. They can afford an expensive bench with Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic (Year 2 of a four-year, $68 million deal) with Risacher on a rookie contract.

The biggest threat to the good vibes the Hawks have could be teams calling them about trades.