B/R Analyst Names Atlanta Hawks Dream Target For Free Agency This Summer

The Atlanta Hawks have an interesting offseason ahead of them

The NBA season is winding down and there are only a few more weeks left in the regular season. Then the NBA play-tournament will determine the final seeding for the NBA playoffs and the race for the title will be on. 

Some teams though are looking ahead to the offseason and the chance to reshape their roster. While the Atlanta Hawks are still in 10th place in the East, clinging to the last play-in spot by four games over the Brooklyn Nets, nobody expects the Hawks to make any noise in the play-in and advance to the playoffs. 

The talk centered around the Hawks is what they will do in free agency this offseason. After being talked about leading up to the trade deadline this past February, most around the league expect Atlanta to make changes of some kind in the summer. Could that mean big changes like trading one of Dejounte Murray or Trae Young? Or changes to other parts of the roster?

When looking ahead to this offseason, Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey listed the Hawks's most realistic, optimistic, and dream target in free agency this summer, and here is who he listed and why:

"Reasonable: Isaiah Joe (Team Option): 

That kind of spending power doesn't get a team too far in today's NBA, and the Oklahoma City Thunder declining Isaiah Joe's team option would be surprising, but his volume shooting could do wonders for lineups led by Dejounte Murray. Over the last two seasons, Joe has taken 5.0 threes in just 18.8 minutes per game while shooting 41.0 percent from deep.

Optimistic: Gary Trent Jr. 

Gary Trent Jr. is making $18.6 million this season and has averaged 16.1 points since the start of 2020-21. Landing him would probably take another move from the Atlanta Hawks to get out of the luxury tax (which would open up the $12.9 million non-taxpayers mid-level).

If that series of dominos were to fall, Trent could be a bigger and even higher volume version of the floor spacer Joe might be for Atlanta.

Dream: Tyus Jones

This option only really makes sense if the move to dodge the luxury tax is a trade of Trae Young or Murray. In that scenario, the Hawks could move the remaining guard into the undisputed 1's role and return Tyus Jones to the "best backup point guard in the league" mix."

Wizards point guard Tyus Jones / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

While the Hawks do not have a lot of money to spend right now in free agency and the free agency class does not have a ton of star power, Atlanta could open up some money if they make trades. 

It is tough to predict what the Hawks are going to do in free agency without knowing the other decisions. Guys like Murray, Young, De'Andre Hunter, Clint Capela, and Onyeka Okongwu could be traded this summer. 

This summer is going to be pivotal for the Hawks's future. They have done a poor job of roster construction around Young up to this point and is the reason they are heading for a third straight year in the play-in after making the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021. What Atlanta's front office does this summer could shape the direction of the franchise for the foreseeable future. 

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