The Atlanta Hawks were arguably the most aggressive team when it came to free agency. With Trae Young being one of the up-and-coming stars in the league, Atlanta needed to make some moves. If you follow Trae on any of his social media pages, you know he wants to win. Next year, the Hawks can offer Young his max deal, but they must decide what to do with John Collins. Collins has stated he wants a max deal, but it seems like the Hawks aren’t thinking about it. Atlanta spent a lot of money and one has to wonder if the Hawks are looking to trade John Collins? Atlanta entered the free agency period with more than $44 million in cap space. Below are the deals the Atlanta Hawks have made since free agency opened on Friday evening.
Danilo Gallinari
Atlanta gave Gallinari $61.5 million over 3 years, but he should have an instant impact. Gallinari is one of the best shooters in the NBA. When you put him in an offense with Trae Young, he will get his fair share of shots. With Gallinari likely playing power forward, could this be John Collins replacement? I’m a huge fan of Collins and would love for him to stay, but Travis Schlenk has a plan in place.
Rajon Rondo
Rajon Rondo was an intricate part of the Los Angeles Lakers championship team. If you followed the NBA Playoffs, you know that Rondo was like a coach on the floor. The two-time NBA champion also improved his 3-point shooting also. Atlanta signed him to a 2-year, $15 million dollar deal. The big question is, will we get the Rondo on the Lakers or the one with the Mavericks? With Rondo wanting to get into coaching after his playing career is over, it seems like this will go great.
Kris Dunn
Kris Dunn will bring defensive intensity to the Atlanta Hawks. While Dunn has struggled on the offensive side, Atlanta has enough pieces to more than make up for it. Dunn was a lottery pick a few years ago and could have a career resurrection under Lloyd Pierce. The Hawks didn’t have to spend a lot as they gave him a 2-year, $10 million deal.
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Atlanta signed Bogdan Bogdanovic to a 4-year, $72 million dollar offer sheet. The Sacramento Kings had 48 hours to match the deal. The deal comes with a player option for the final season. In an effort to discourage the Sacramento Kings from matching it, the contract includes a 15 percent trade kicker to be paid by the team trading him away. If the Hawks can keep all four, this is a team that’s poised to be in the top 4 of the Eastern Conference. The Kings declined to match the offer so Bogdanovic is officially a member of the Atlanta Hawks.
