Atlanta Hawks: 5 bargain bin targets in 2019 NBA free agency

1. Trey Burke

Believe it or not, Trey Burke actually put together a pretty nice 2018-19 season, especially after he was sent to the Dallas Mavericks as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade. Who would’ve thought that one’s fortunes could change for the better after escaping the clutches of James Dolan’s clown show of a basketball team?

In 25 games with the Mavs, Burke upped his win shares per 48 minutes from .044 when he was with the Knicks to .140. His increase in efficiency — his true shooting went from 49.6 percent with the Knicks to 57.4 percent with the Mavericks — and proficiency playing off-ball, as he averaged 1.08 points per possession on spot-ups in Dallas compared to 0.90 in New York, made him an overall positive in the scraps of time he received.

In Burke’s short stay in Dallas, the Mavs’ net rating jumped from -2.7 to +5.5 when he was on the floor.

Of course, his on-court successes come with the small sample size disclaimer, but he showed enough in Dallas to at least warrant a backup point guard role where he could also occasionally share the floor with another primary conductor. A run with the Hawks could fit the bill.

Obviously, Burke is no threat to take a starting point guard spot anywhere; the man was backing up Emmanuel Mudiay with the Knicks. But in manageable pockets, he can be an effective spark off the bench.