With his status as a shooter and defender on the wing, Kent Bazemore could serve as a decent trade chip for the Atlanta Hawks at the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline.
The Atlanta Hawks are firmly in the rebuilding phase and with good results. Great performances by rookies Trae Young and Kevin Huerter and a fine sophomore campaign from John Collins has Atlanta heading in the right direction as it continues to acquire lottery balls for the upcoming draft class.
With February looming, the Hawks could be looking to offload some veterans at the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline.
The trade deadline serves as an opportunity for all rebuilding teams to turn veteran players into draft picks or young prospects who could take a step forward in their careers with some playing time. The Hawks have a few of these vets, but their biggest trade chip is wing Kent Bazemore.
According to The New York Times‘ Marc Stein, the Hawks have made Bazemore available ahead of the Feb. 7 trade deadline.
Currently dealing with a right ankle sprain, Bazemore offers most teams the ability to stabilize their wing depth heading into the back half of the season and playoffs. At 29 years old, Bazemore offers some playoff experience and strong defense on the wing. After five straight seasons, his 3-point shooting has dipped, shooting just 32.7 percent this season.
If Bazemore could recover his shooting stroke, he fits a need for several teams. Due to his rather large contract and injury, he might be undervalued at the deadline. Still, the Hawks could look and get back an asset or two to help them continue remodeling their roster around their younger talents.
Here are three teams the Atlanta Hawks could see calling to acquire the veteran swingman.