Who could the Hawks be targeting?

8-suns-len-full

Atlanta has been extremely quiet this offseason, selling away their major pieces and letting the others walk out the door. With most of the major free agents off the market, the Hawks are surely in a rebuilding stage, but they will still have to add some pieces to fill out their roster heading into the season. According to Chris Vivlamore of the AJC, the Hawks are in negotiations with several free agents and are looking to add another point guard, power forward and center.

So who could they be after? 

At center the Hawks have to be taking a hard look at Willie Reed. The center made a name for himself at Miami as a rim protector and rebounder. He is exactly what this Hawks team lacks and is in a similar stage of development as the rest of the team. Reed may still have a lot of untapped potential and could prove to be a bargain for whoever he signs with.

Alex Len is a restricted free agent that has not experienced the kind of progress the Suns hoped for the former 5th overall pick. Len is still just 24 years old and had per 36-minute averages of 14.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. A change of scenery might be just what Len needs to reach his full potential.

Those are the cheaper options on the market right now. However, the Hawks have quite a bit of cash to spend and could be in the running for some of the bigger names remaining.

Nerlens Noel is the immediate name that comes to mind. He still has sky high potential, but the Mavs seem intent on matching whatever offer he accepts. A more realistic option is JaMychal Green, who the Hawks have reportedly shown interest in. Green busted out last season for the Grizzlies, shooting almost 38% from three, while also proving to be a reliable rebounder and playing great defense. The problem with Green is he too is a restricted free agent. If Atlanta does not want Memphis to match, they are going to have to overpay.

That might make Dewayne Dedmon one of the most likely options. He is an unrestricted free agent from the Spurs, who proved to be one of the best paint protectors last season. Dedmon is ready for a bigger role and nice pay bump. The Spurs will not be able to give him that, so their should be mutual interest between the Hawks and Dedmon.

When it comes to point guards, there are slim pickings available on the market. One name that jumps off the page as an obvious fit is Ian Clark. The Hawks new general manager, Travis Schlenk came over from Golden State as their former assistant GM. Clark is a combo guard that was a crucial bench piece for the Warriors last season. He would fit into Budenholzer’s system and like Dedmon, Clark will be looking for a much larger role wherever he heads. Perhaps Clark became undervalued as a member of the Warriors and can prove to be a steal in free agency.

The Hawks’ most recent run of success was due in large part to their capability of finding under the radar players in free agency. Atlanta was never in the running for any superstars this offseason, but these singings will still be a major determinant in how quickly the Hawks can complete this rebuild, return to the Eastern Conference Finals, and beyond.

 

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