Atlanta Hawks: 2017 NBA Trade Deadline Outlook

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Kent Bazemore, Taurean Prince, DeAndre’ Bembry

Regardless of what the Hawks decide to do to advance their cause in the present, they need to be mindful of protecting some of their better assets for the medium to long-term future.

The two most obvious examples of that come in the form of Taurean Prince and DeAndre’ Bembry, who were both picked in the first round of last summer’s NBA Draft. Prince and Bembry have both been lucky enough to catch significant shares of minutes at different times in their rookie seasons, and have impressed when given the opportunity in the NBA, as well as excelling when assigned to the D-League.

With the potential for that duo to be a versatile and diversely skilled wing duo in Atlanta for many years, they don’t fit the bill of disappointing first round picks who could be used as filler in a deal that would yield a short-term gain.

Also deserving of inclusion in this category is the much more experienced and highly paid swingman Kent Bazemore. Having made significant strides forward in his career since his arrival in Atlanta back in 2014, Bazemore was highly coveted in free agency last summer. Ultimately choosing slightly less than was offered elsewhere to return to Atlanta, Baze has disappointed many with his performances in the time since.

Although it’s true that Bazemore’s numbers remain down on a career season last year up to this point, it seems as if the tide is starting to turn back in his favor. Having underachieved across the board and most notably in his shooting to start the season, the former Old Dominion Monarch has shown something of a resurgence since the calendar turned over to 2017.

More specifically, in his last 15 games, Bazemore is averaging 12.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game on an impressive 46 percent shooting from the field and 39.6 percent from distance.

With that performance completely in line, and even above, much of what he showed last year, it remains too soon for the Hawks to give up on a player who they believed enough to re-invest in only a few short months ago. If Baze can continue on his recent run and trend upwards, his game will combine with his attitude and work ethic to became an important cog for the Hawks in the coming years.