Rival teams expect Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter to become available as draft nears

This offseason is going to be important for the Atlanta Hawks and for several reasons. They’ll likely split their backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, they won the NBA draft lottery and will pick No. 1, and they’ll continue to reshape their roster and possibly trade others, including Clint Capela , Bogdan Bogdanovic, or De’Andre Hunter. Hunter went under the radar as a potential trade candidate for the Hawks this offseason, but he was mentioned by Michael Scotto at Hoopshype as someone who should become available.

“If the Hawks select Sarr, center Clint Capela – who will be in the final year of his contract $22.27 million– should be discussed in business negotiations. Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter was another name rival executives expected to become available to Atlanta as the draft nears.

I think it’s possible that Hunter could be considered in trade talks, although it’s just speculation.

Hunter is a player that many people have different opinions on. He was constantly injured throughout his career and didn’t become the two-way star the Hawks hoped he would be when they moved up to fourth overall to draft him in 2019. He was expected to be a future cornerstone of the team. franchise alongside Trae Young, but hasn’t been up to par, with injuries being the main cause. That doesn’t mean Hunter is a bad player, though.

Due to the Hawks’ poor roster construction since Young’s selection, Hunter had to be considered the only wing defender above average in terms of athleticism and size. While he may not be the Hawks’ best player, you could have made a case that he was one of the most important players on the team, aside from Young. Hunter was the only one who could defend players like Jayson Tatum or Luka Doncic and since he got injured quite often, the Hawks defense suffered whenever he wasn’t on the court. He was also an inconsistent offensive player during his career, although this was his best offensive season as a professional. Hunter set career highs in points per game and three-point field goal percentage, largely while coming off the bench after returning from his injury. He had a very disappointing game against the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Play-In tournament, scoring eight points on 3-16 shooting in 42 minutes, but he has improved in many ways this season and is not expected to be recalled only for this match.

Last offseason, Hunter was the subject of trade rumors, with teams like the Pacers and Pistons showing interest according to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer. Other teams like the Bucks and Cavs. While seemingly every player on the team was the subject of trade rumors this offseason, Hunter wasn’t really one of them. Is it because of its enormous extension? Is it because of his injury history? Probably both, but right now it doesn’t seem like most teams are interested in acquiring Hunter. This raises the question of what the Hawks will do with him in the future.

earlier stated his importance to the team because of his defense, but he shouldn’t be counted on as a team’s best and only true defender. Atlanta’s No. 1 job this offseason should be acquiring more help on defense and trying to build around Trae Young (assuming they don’t trade him). Does this mean Hunter remains in the starting five? It’s uncertain. If the Hawks were to take Alex Sarr, would they start him, Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson together, pushing Hunter to the bench? It’s possible and it would give Atlanta some good depth. Hunter has strong qualities as a player and he has really shined whenever the Hawks have had to bring him off the bench this season. He scored 27 points in 19 minutes against the Clippers in a single game this season when he came off the bench and that might be his best role going forward.

If the Hawks take Sarr and trade Dejounte Murray, that could mean Hunter would be part of a bench unit with Bogdan Bogdanovic, although Bogdanovic may have to start and make sure the Hawks have enough offense and shooting On the ground. Would Hunter like to come off the bench? It’s another layer for him going forward.

I think Hunter is a good player and one that would be useful to a team as long as he isn’t asked to do too much. He showed with the way the Hawks roster was constructed that he can’t be counted on as a team’s best two-way player, but he showed he could be a good defender and a good shooter three points. If he could add more to his offensive game, such as being able to push back smaller defenders and drive to the basket, he could make big strides as a player. Analysts have been saying this for a few years, but it hasn’t happened. I don’t think the Hawks should trade Hunter unless it’s in a trade that would really benefit the Hawks. He may be a little overpaid, but he brings a lot of quality to Atlanta and would be a very good bench player.