Potential 2024 Free Agent Targets for the Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks won’t spend much in free agency this year. Most of Atlanta’s offseason moves will come from having the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, trading one of Dejounte Murray or Trae Young, and making other trades which could involve Clint Capela, De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan. Bogdanovic. They also have decisions to make regarding Saddiq Bey, Garrison Matthews and Bruno Fernando. The first big day of free agent decisions could take place on June 29. They must choose whether or not to exercise Garrison Matthews’ $2.2 million team option, they must determine whether to submit an $8.4 million qualifying offer to Saddiq Bey, making him a restricted free agent, and they have to decide whether or not they want to guarantee Bruno Fernando’s $2.7 million contract. Keep this date in mind.

NBA free agency will officially open on July 6, but teams can begin negotiating with other free agents at 6:00 p.m. on June 30. This has a chance to be a crazy offseason in the NBA and the Hawks will be one of the teams to watch.

It’s difficult to predict which free agents the Hawks will actually be able to afford until they make more trades, but it’s safe to say the Hawks won’t be in the mix for some of the biggest names, like Paul. George. Of course, anything can happen, but it looks like the Hawks will be looking for cheaper players to fill out their roster.

So who could the Hawks target? Note that this is just me speculating and giving my opinion on who might be a good fit for the team and the players are listed in no particular order.

Naji Marshall – 6’6 220 LBS, SF (previous team: New Orleans Pelicans)

You will notice a theme with the players I list. The Hawks need to target defense with their free agent picks and there may be none better than Marshall. He’s a long, athletic defender and shot 39% from three this season. He could be an odd man out in New Orleans and the Hawks should make him a top target.

Delon Wright – 6’5, 185 LBS, PG (Miami Heat)

A former Hawk who should never have been allowed to leave. Atlanta could be in need of a backup point guard this offseason and one who could even play alongside Trae Young, assuming he is retained. Wright is an excellent defender at the point of attack and is a good three-point shooter. He won’t be an expensive player and Atlanta should think about bringing him back.

Goga Bitadze – 6’10 250 LBS, C (Orlando Magic)

If the Hawks move Capela and/or Onyeka Okongwu, they will need a backup center. That could depend on the Hawks’ draft decision. If they select French forward Zaccharie Risacher and trade Capela, they will need a backup center. If they draft Donovan Clingan and keep Okongwu, they probably will. do not call on a backup center (I don’t think so). I think if they needed to target a backup center, Bitadze would be the best of the group they could afford. He is a good rebounder and shot blocker and would not cost much. It wouldn’t surprise me if Orlando wanted him back.

Xavier Tillman – 6’7 245 LBS (Boston Celtics)

I’ve been a big fan of Tillman since his days with the Grizzlies and think he would be a solid backup power forward/center for Atlanta. He was traded to the Celtics this season, where he didn’t play much time. I think he would be an affordable player for the Hawks.

Kris Dunn – 6’4 205 LBS, PG (Utah Jazz)

Another former Hawks point guard who was fired too soon? You bet. Dunn looks a lot like Delon Wright. He’s a good point of attack defender and a solid enough offensive player who would fill some of Atlanta’s needs. He had a solid season for Utah and wouldn’t be a costly addition to the roster.

Lonnie Walker – 6’5 210 LBS, SG/SF (Brooklyn Nets)

Walker is still a young player and would be worth getting started at depth. He’s not a great defender, but he has great athleticism and length and should be better than he has been. He is also a career 36% three-point shooter.

Dennis Smith Jr – 6’3 205 LBS, PG (Brooklyn Nets)

Smith Jr fits some of the Hawks’ needs, but would be a liability when it comes to floor spacing, although that’s not what he would be hired for. Smith Jr is a solid defender averaging 6.6 PPG, 3.6 APG and 2.9 RPG last season while averaging almost 19 minutes per game. Smith Jr would be worth rolling the dice.

Kelly Oubre Jr – 6’7 203 LBS, SG/SF (Philadelphia 76ers)

I think Oubre may be too expensive for the Hawks, but they should at least try to bring him in. Oubre is super athletic, although he is not a great three-point shooter (shooting 31.1% last year and his career high is 35.2%), but he would be a good choice if they could find a way to afford it.

De’Anthony Melton – 6’3 200 LBS, SG (Philadelphia 76ers)

Melton would be a great fit in Atlanta and could even be a starter. Like Oubre, I don’t know if the Hawks can afford him. He got off to a very good start with the 76ers last season and averaged 11.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG and 3.0 APG in 38 games last season. He struggled with injuries last season, but he should probably be at the top of the roster for the Hawks.

Royce O’Neale – 6’6 230 LBS, SF/PF (Phoenix Suns)

O’Neale will have a lot of suitors, but the Hawks should be one of them. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report named O’Neale as Atlanta’s “dream” free agent target this offseason:

“The Atlanta Hawks are expected to have modest spending power this summer. They will be armed with either the non-taxpayer mid-level exception of $12.9 million or the taxpayer MLE of 5.2 million dollars, and they’ll have a lot of questions to answer anyway.

Whether or not the Hawks decide to keep Trae Young, they need to improve defensively. They ranked 27th in defensive rating and also weren’t a particularly good three-point shooting team (36.4 percent, 17th overall).

Getting a veteran three-and-D winger like Royce O’Neale would be a realistic dream, especially since he would take a $9.5 million salary cut starting in 2023-24.

O’Neale, 30, had a plus-13.8 on/off differential with the Phoenix Suns (98th percentile, via Cleaning the Glass). The Suns were 6.5 points per 100 possessions better on defense with O’Neale on the floor. Add in the 37.0 percent he shot from three last season, and he would be an ideal free agent for Atlanta. »

I think O’Neale would be a good addition to the Hawks because of his defensive versatility and three-point shooting ability. O’Neale also knows Hawks head coach Quin Snyder from their days together in Utah. One of Atlanta’s main goals this offseason should be to become better and more athletic on the defensive side of the floor and O’Neale certainly provides that. He will likely have a lot of suitors and might not be very cheap.