Atlanta Hawks Make Key Free Agent Decision With Garrison Matthews

Garrison Matthews will be back on the Atlanta Hawks next season after having his team option picked up today

Atlanta Hawks Forward Garrison Matthews / Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Jason Getz

The Atlanta Hawks had a decision to make regarding forward Garrison Matthews today. It was the deadline for them to decide to pick up Matthews's $2.2 Million Dollar Option and they have decided to do that today. Matthews was not expected to have a big role last season, but he stepped up and was a pleasant surprise for the Hawks. He finished 4th among all NBA players in three-point percentage, shooting 44% on an average of 3 attempts per game. Matthews played in 66 games last season, averaging 4.9 PPG.

The Atlanta Hawks will exercise the team’s $2.23 million option on Garrison Mathews, league sources told @hoopshype. Mathews shot a career-high 44% from 3-point range in a career-high 66 games for Atlanta last season. This paves the way for a potential extension down the line. pic.twitter.com/7z9AYIHPiY

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 29, 2024

Will Matthews have a big role next season? Atlanta has added some pieces through the Dejounte Murray trade and with drafting Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 overall pick. Even if Atlanta did not make any more moves this offseason (unlikely), they now have Risacher, Jalen Johnson, De'Andre Hunter, Mouhamed Gueye, and Larry Nance in the frontcourt. I think Nance is likely to be more of a center though. Matthews brings high-level shooting and is a better defender than I think he is given credit for. Being able to inject him into lineups that could use shooting would be a huge asset for Quin Snyder next season. Only paying Matthews $2.2 million next year is also pretty team-friendly for the Hawks if he could provide the same level of three-point shooting that he did.

While I don't think Matthews is going to have a massive role with the Hawks next season, getting him at this price is reasonable and there is still a chance that De'Andre Hunter is traded, opening up more room in the frontcourt. The other thing to consider is that the Hawks had terrible injury luck last year and that is why Matthews had to play more down the stretch. Injuries are unpredictable and having veteran depth is always an asset. Matthews checks those boxes.

Getting Matthews back is also a smart move because the Hawks declined the qualifying offer on forward Saddiq Bey. While Bey could still be back with the team on a smaller deal, having Matthews on the roster gives the Hawks insurance in case he signs with another team.