Hawks linked to veteran free agent swingman: 'Weighing his options'

Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields said that he did not plan on making any moves at the trade deadline. But he left the door open on the buyout market.

Perhaps that was all smoke and mirrors, though, to keep the interest down in his potential target.

“Danuel House Jr. is currently weighing his options between several Eastern Conference contenders, including the Atlanta Hawks - Per Sources,” the “Pat Bev Pod” posted in a message on X, formerly Twitter, on February 19.

House, 30, is averaging 4.2 points and 1.7 rebounds this season. A career 35.9% shooter from deep, he is shooting just 30% this season.

The 6-foot-6 wing is still shooting 34.3% on catch-and-shoot looks and is an athletic finisher.

He is also a solid defender, ranking in the 84th percentile in defensive on-off differential this season, per Cleaning The Glass.

The Philadelphia 76ers traded House along with a 2024 second-round pick and cash considerations to the Detroit Pistons for a future second-rounder and a trade exception at the deadline.

Detroit subsequently waived the eighth-year swingman.

House -- who spent half of the 2021-22 season playing for Hawks head coach Quin Snyder with the Utah Jazz -- was on a one-year, $4.3 million contract with the Pistons. The Hawks can pick him up for the veteran minimum – $2.3 million, per Spotrac – following his release.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Patrick Beverley, House's former teammate on the Sixers before the deadline, has his own handle on X. So it is unclear if this information is coming from him or just an admin.

The account has previously leaked former teammate Marcus Morris' intentions -- which have yet to come to fruition -- and Beverley's deal to join the Sixers in free agency last summer.

Landry Fields explains Hawks’ trade deadline strategy

“Right now, obviously, we're not making any moves to upgrade in size,” Fields told reporters after the deadline passed on February 8. “There's still things we can do, right? Where there's still chances to change your roster even post-deadline, right? There's buyout markets, there's tons of things. But right now, we're focused on our current group.”

Pressed about exploring the buyout market, Fields was again non-committal.

“That's always hard,” Fields said. “[We have] 15 guys on our roster. So if somebody's coming in, somebody's got to go out. And with whoever that may be, they've done things for us, and they've integrated themselves into the group. 

“It's important for our culture and camaraderie. So you're always weighing that versus the player that does come in. And does the player that's coming in, are they solving particular objectives that we have? Are they achieving those objectives? And also not only that, but is it somebody that we can ultimately grow into the future wit?

“There's nothing that we're we're doing right now. But we're keeping a pulse on that market, for sure.”

Fields said that the expiration date on the trade exception generated from the John Collins deal is a key for their plans. He also noted that they never considered taking a step back now with an eye toward the future.

Adding House wouldn’t stray from any of Fields’ messaging.