Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2019 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2019/20 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Atlanta Hawks.
Signings:
- Standard contracts:
- Jabari Parker: Two years, $13MM. Second-year player option. Signed using cap room.
- Vince Carter: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using cap room.
- Two-way contracts:
- Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Armoni Brooks: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Marcus Derrickson: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Tahjere McCall: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Ray Spalding: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
Trades:
- Acquired the Heat’s 2024 second-round pick (protected 31-50 and 56-60) and cash ($1.88MM) from the Heat in exchange for the No. 44 pick in 2019 draft (used to select Bol Bol).
- Acquired the Warriors’ 2024 second-round pick and cash ($1.3MM) from the Warriors in exchange for the No. 41 pick in 2019 draft (used to select Eric Paschall).
- Acquired Evan Turner from the Trail Blazers in exchange for Kent Bazemore.
- Acquired Allen Crabbe, the draft rights to Nickeil Alexander-Walker (No. 17 pick), and the Nets’ 2020 first-round pick (top-14 protected) from the Nets in exchange for Taurean Prince and the Hawks’ 2021 second-round pick.
- Acquired Solomon Hill, the draft rights to De’Andre Hunter (No. 4 pick), the draft rights to Jordan Bone (No. 57 pick), and the Pelicans’ 2023 second-round pick (31-45 protected) from the Pelicans in exchange for the draft rights to Jaxson Hayes (No. 8 pick), the draft rights to Nickeil Alexander-Walker (No. 17 pick), the draft rights to Marcos Louzada Silva (No. 35 pick), and the Cavaliers’ 2020 first-round pick (top-10 protected).
- Note: The Cavaliers’ protected 2020 first-rounder will become two second-round picks (2021 and 2022) if it’s not conveyed in 2020.
- Acquired the draft rights to Bruno Fernando (No. 34 pick) from the Sixers in exchange for the draft rights to Jordan Bone (No. 57 pick), the Hawks’ 2020 second-round pick (56-60 protected), and either the Hawks’, Hornets’, or Nets’ 2023 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
- Acquired Chandler Parsons from the Grizzlies in exchange for Miles Plumlee and Solomon Hill.
- Acquired Damian Jones and the Warriors’ 2026 second-round pick from the Warriors in exchange for Omari Spellman.
Draft picks:
- 1-4: De’Andre Hunter — Signed to rookie contract.
- 1-10: Cam Reddish — Signed to rookie contract.
- 2-34: Bruno Fernando — Signed to three-year, $4.7MM contract. Fully guaranteed. Signed using cap room.
Departing players:
- Jaylen Adams (waived)
- Justin Anderson
- Kent Bazemore
- Deyonta Davis (waived)
- Dewayne Dedmon
- Isaac Humphries
- Miles Plumlee
- Alex Poythress (two-way)
- Taurean Prince
- Omari Spellman
Other offseason news:
- Extended GM Travis Schlenk, promoted him to president of basketball operations.
- Relocated NBAGL affiliate from Erie; rebranded as College Park Skyhawks.
- Chandler Parsons underwent Regenokine treatment on knees.
- Allen Crabbe arrested on DUI charge.
- Lost assistant GM Jeff Peterson to Nets.
Salary cap situation:
- Used cap space; still under the cap (approximately $5.3MM in room).
- Carrying approximately $103.8MM in guaranteed salary.
- Full room exception ($4.77MM) still available.
Story of the summer:
Since Travis Schlenk arrived in Atlanta as the Hawks’ new head of basketball operations in 2017, the franchise has been in asset accumulation mode. That approach has meant adding young talent in the draft while primarily using the club’s available cap room to take on unwanted contracts and acquire even more draft picks.
Schlenk and the Hawks’ front office essentially continued down that path this summer. The team’s acquisition of Allen Crabbe was a classic salary-dump deal that netted extra first-round picks in both 2019 and 2020 — all Atlanta had to give up was a 2021 second-round pick, a player who apparently wasn’t in the team’s long-term plans (Taurean Prince), and 2019 cap room.
The Hawks were also quiet in free agency once again, waiting out the first wave of blockbuster deals and making only modest investments once the dust settled. It all points to a team that knows its rebuild is an ongoing process.
On the other hand, we saw this offseason that the Hawks are willing to start consolidating their assets for the right deal. The blockbuster trade they made with the Pelicans on draft night saw them absorb an unwanted contract (Solomon Hill‘s) and surrender the Nos. 8, 17, and 35 picks from this year’s draft. The target? De’Andre Hunter, whom Atlanta traded up to No. 4 to snag.
Hunter is just 21 years old and has yet to make his NBA debut, so he isn’t the sort of player who will turn Atlanta into a contender right away. But the deal foreshadowed the pivot that should be around the corner for the Hawks, who may not be in rebuilding mode for much longer. The next time Schlenk decides to consolidate his assets in a major trade, he may be targeting a veteran star who can help make the team a legit contender.