Potential 2024 Free Agent Targets For the Atlanta Hawks

Who could the Atlanta Hawks target when the free agency period opens up

Apr 1, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Naji Marshall (8) reacts after a making a basket and drawing a foul against Phoenix Suns forward Drew Eubanks (14) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports / Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Hawks are not going to be big spenders in free agency this year. Most of Atlanta's offseason moves are going to come from having the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, trading one of either Dejounte Murray or Trae Young, and making other trades that might 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 be on June 29th. They must choose whether or not to exercise Garrison Matthews's $2.2 million team option, they must figure out if they want to tender an $8.4 million dollar qualifying offer to Saddiq Bey, making him a restricted free agent, and they must decide whether or not to guarantee Bruno Fernando's $2.7 million dollar contract. Keep this date in mind.

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

It is hard to predict which free agents the Hawks will actually be able to afford until they make some other transactions, but it is safe to say that the Hawks are not going to be in the mix for some of the bigger names, such as Paul George. Anything can happen of course, but it feels like the Hawks are going to be looking for cheaper players to fill out their roster.

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

Naji Marshall- 6'6 220 LBS, SF (Prev Team: New Orleans Pelicans)

You will notice a theme with the players I list. The Hawks need to target defense with their free agent choices and there might not be a better one than Marshall. He is a long athletic defender and he shot 39% from three this season. He might be the 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 have never been allowed to leave. Atlanta might need a backup point guard this offseason and one that could even play alongside Trae Young, assuming he is kept. Wright is an excellent defender at the point of attack and is a good three-point shooter. He will not 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. This 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 will likely. not bring in a backup center (I don't think). I think if they did need to target a backup center, Bitadze would be the best of the bunch that they could afford. He is a good rebounder and shot blocker and would not cost much. It would not surprise me though if Orlando wants him back.

Xavier Tillman- 6'7 245 LBS (Boston Celtics)

I have been a big fan of Tillman since his days on the Grizzlies and I think he would be a solid backup forward/center for Atlanta. He was traded to the Celtics this season, where he has not seen much playing time. I think he would be an affordable big for the Hawks.

Kris Dunn- 6'4 205 LBS, PG (Utah Jazz)

Another former Hawk point guard who was let go too soon? You bet. Dunn is a lot like Delon Wright. He is a good point-of-attack defender and a solid enough offensive player who would fill some needs for Atlanta. He had a solid season for Utah and would not be an expensive addition to the roster.

Lonnie Walker- 6'5 210 LBS, SG/SF (Brooklyn Nets)

Walker is still a young player and would be worth taking a flier on for depth. He is not a great defender, but has plenty of athleticism and length and should be better than what he has been. He is a career 36% three-point shooter as well.

Dennis Smith Jr- 6'3 205 LBS, PG (Brooklyn Nets)

Smith Jr fits some of the needs for the Hawks, but would be a liability when it comes to spacing the floor, though that is not what he would be brought in for. Smith Jr is a solid defender and averaged 6.6 PPG, 3.6 APG, and 2.9 RPG last season while averaging nearly 19 minutes a game. Smith Jr would be worth rolling the dice on.

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

I think Oubre might be too expensive for the Hawks, but they should at least attempt to bring him in. Oubre is super athletic, though he is not a great three-point shooter (shot 31.1% last year and his career high is 35.2%. He would be a solid fit though if they can find a way to afford him.

De'Anthony Melton- 6'3 200 LBS, SG (Philadelphia 76ers)

Melton would be a great fit for Atlanta and could even be a starter. Like Oubre though, I don't know if the Hawks are going to be able to afford him. He was off to a really 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 near the top of the list for the Hawks.

Royce O'Neale- 6'6 230 LBS, SF/PF (Phoenix Suns)

O'Neale is going to have plenty of suitors, but the Hawks should be one of them. Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley named O'Neale as Atlanta's "dream" free agent target for this offseason:

"The Atlanta Hawks are projected to have modest spending power this summer. They'll be armed with either the $12.9 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception or the $5.2 million taxpayer MLE, and they'll have a lot of roster questions to answer either way.

Regardless of whether the Hawks decide to keep Trae Young, they need to get better defensively. They ranked 27th in defensive rating and weren't a particularly good three-point shooting team, either (36.4 percent, 17th overall).

Getting a veteran three-and-D wing like Royce O'Neale would be a realistic dream, especially since he'd be taking a pay cut from his $9.5 million salary from 2023-24.

The 30-year-old O'Neale 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 that he shot from three last season, and he'd be an ideal free-agent addition 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 has familiarity with Hawks head coach Quin Snyder from their days together in Utah. One of Atlanta's top goals this offseason should be to get better and more athletic on the defensive end of the floor and O'Neale certainly provides that. He will likely have plenty of suitors though and might not be super cheap.