Atlanta Hawks make $8 million move on Saddiq Bey: report

The Atlanta Hawks will allow forward Saddiq Bey to play in unrestricted free agency, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojanrowski.

Bey is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in March and is expected to miss the start of the regular season. Today was the deadline for the Hawks to tender a qualifying offer to Bey, which would have made him a restricted free agent.

Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer said Atlanta might not fight to keep Bey on the “Hawks Report” podcast.

Instead, Bey will hit the open market at an interesting time for both him and teams, as the CBA becomes more restrictive for teams spending big money.

“ESPN Sources: Atlanta Hawks will not make a qualifying offer to move Saddiq Bey forward, paving the way for him to become an unrestricted free agent,” Wojnarowski reported on X on June 29.

The Hawks acquired Bey from the Pistons in a three-team trade with the Golden State Warriors for a handful of 2022 second-round picks. Bey, 25, averaged 13.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists last season.

He’s unexpectedly worked his way into a key part of the starting lineup, providing solid rebounds on both ends of the floor.

But his three-point shooting betrayed him. Shooting 35.2% from three-point range in his career, Bey shot 31.6% from three-point range last season. He had shot 40% in a smaller 27-game sample after the Hawks acquired him at the trade deadline from the 2023 Detroit Pistons.

“He is should make a full recovery“, wrote Wojnarowski. “He has averaged 14 points with the Pistons and Hawks since arriving as the 19th pick in the 2020 Draft.”

Bey’s qualifying bid was reportedly worth $8.5 million.

“Qualifying offers count against the apron,” ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks – who spent 20 years in the Brooklyn Nets front office – said of the decision. “The Bey QO would have pushed Atlanta against the first apron.”

The Hawks sat down roughly 12 million dollars under the first apron after their trades sent Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans and AJ Griffin to the Houston Rockets, according to Marks.

Bey’s rumored departure — he could still re-sign with the Hawks as a free agent — comes just after the 2024 NBA draft. It also comes just after the Hawks extended a qualifying offer to 2023 second-round pick Seth Lundy.

Lundy is shorter than Bey. But he could provide a more consistent three-point shot over time.

Perhaps most importantly for the Hawks as they navigate this roster transition: Lundy is much cheaper than Bey, who also figures to compete with No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher.

None of these decisions clarify the status of De’Andre Hunter or even Bogdan Bogdanovic, while reports indicate that Risacher and Jalen Johnson are the only Hawks unable to participate in trade talks this offseason.