The Atlanta Hawks face a crucial offseason. They shockingly won the draft lottery, despite having just a three percent chance at the top pick. It was a must after Atlanta finished 36-46 and was bounced in the Play-In Tournament. Their star backcourt has not panned out as planned, and the franchise looks head toward a dead end.
Landry Fields became the Hawks' general manager and top decision-maker in 2022. They were one year removed from being in the conference finals, but have only gotten worse. Atlanta had back-to-back first-round playoff exits before not qualifying this season. The pressure is on Fields and his front office to improve their roster.
Atlanta does not want to face a total rebuild. To avoid it, Fields has to make moves this summer. They got the top pick in an uncertain class, so there are zero guarantees. The Hawks must accomplish plenty if they want to get back into contention without blowing things up completely, and it involves multiple trades.
5. Move on from De’Andre Hunter
The fourth overall pick in 2019 is no stranger to trade rumors, and he is expected to be available this summer. Hunter’s leaves plenty to be desired on both ends of the floor and his contract makes moving him a tough sell.
The 26-year-old has three years and $69.9 million left on his deal. He is set to make $21-plus million per season and should be entering his prime. It feels like Hunter will never live up to his current contract.
The 6’8 wing averaged 15.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 29.5 minutes per game, but produced a negative value over replacement player (VORP) for the third straight year and fourth time in five seasons.
Atlanta wants to move on, but finding the right trade won’t be easy. The Hawks may need to include him in a larger deal, so they are not just dumping his contract. Either way, this is just one piece of a significant roster overhaul that should take place this summer.