Which Backup Point Guard Could Atlanta Add in Free Agency?

There are still a variety of veteran ball-handlers that Atlanta should consider to step into the backup role left open by Bufkin and Krejci's injuries.

May 5, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Orlando Magic guard Markelle Fultz (20) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Marcus Morris Sr. (24) during the first half in game seven of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The recent stretch of injuries have not been kind to the Atlanta Hawks.

Specifically, the backup point guard situation for the Hawks is among the diciest in the league. Both Kobe Bufkin and Vit Krejci, who were the two leading candidates to assume that role, are dealing with injuries. Fortunately, Atlanta has options to weather their absence both through trades and free agency.

Here are three backup point guard candidates for Atlanta to add from free agency. All these deals would likely be for the veteran minimum or close to it.

Markelle Fultz

Arguably the biggest name left in NBA free agency, Fultz is what he is at this point in his NBA career. His shot comes and goes, he's active on defense and he will miss games due to injury. Atlanta's offense around Young is incredibly lethal, but Fultz likely will not be able to hold the Hawks up on defense. I do think he's still a very helpful defender and I believe he would aid Atlanta's defense as the backup point guard. However, it is very difficult to have him as the backup point guard because his offensive game is so inconsistent.

Signing Fultz to be the backup point guard would be a sign of belief in the Hawks' roster to make up for his lack of offense. To this point, the Hawks have not shown the ability to be that team. His passing is arguably better than Smith or Lewis, so he still warrants consideration as the backup.

Dennis Smith Jr

Another defensively-tilted guard, Dennis Smith Jr should probably get an opportunity with a team and the Hawks could be that team. He averaged 6.6 points, 3.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds in the 56 games he played with the Nets last season. Smith earned a role as a great on-ball defender for Brooklyn that consistently competed in the games that he played. He is also a good connective playmaker and routinely uses his athleticism to get to the rim. The questions that come with Smith are relatively similar to the ones that exist with Fultz. He's a sub-30% shooter from deep and teams can afford to ignore him on offense.

Smith offers very similar things to Fultz and the issues for both on offense are about the same. The Hawks would likely experience some defensive benefits, but the spacing of those bench lineups would take a big hit.

Kira Lewis Jr

Kira Lewis Jr is probably the riskiest of the free agent candidates to be the backup point guard, but potentially the highest upside. He's still only 23 years old and flashes high-end athleticism. Technically, he is on a G League deal with the Wizards' affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go. However, it would be very simple for Atlanta to sign him to a deal.

The risk with Lewis lies entirely in his shooting. While Smith and Fultz are not respectable shooters at an NBA level, Lewis' shot has fluctuated even more. He shot 44.1% on 1.6 attempts from deep over a 25-game sample size with New Orleans in 2022-23, but all of his other games indicate that his shooting is closer to that of a 28=30% shooter from deep at best.

Interestingly, if you extract Lewis's numbers to a per-36 minute projection, they come out to a respectable 15.0 pts, 4.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds on 42.8/27.5/83.7 splits. I am not saying that he would average that for Atlanta, but there's pretty clear signs that Lewis can be a NBA contributor with development. Ideally, he would go to a young team with plenty of opportunity at point guard. However, that opportunity does not seem readily available to him - it might be worth landing in a stable context in Atlanta where he can deliver on the promise that he has flashed.

If I were to sign any of these players, I think Smith would be my choice. He comes with less of the injury concerns that Fultz has while being more of a known quantity than Lewis. Furthermore, I do think he could form a potentially lethal point-of-attack defense next to Dyson Daniels.