Grading all of the Atlanta Hawks moves this offseason
Kris Dunn: 2 years, $10 million
Kris Dunn may prove to be a steal for the Hawks after both sides agreed to a reported two-year, $10 million deal. Dunn is not great a playmaker and isn’t really a scoring threat, though he did a nice job finishing around the rim (64.7 field goal percentage within three feet of the basket) last season.
He isn’t going to help in the shooting department (career 30.6 percent 3-point shooter), but that’s okay. Schlenk targeted the athletic point guard for the stellar job he does on defense.
An elite defender, Dunn posted a career-best 103.6 defensive rating (9th best among guards who played at least 20mins per game, by comparison (using the same statistical qualifiers) Trae Young had the 4th worst defensive rating 116.1.
He gives Atlanta much-needed depth in the backcourt, and the addition of Dunn immediately improves the team’s defense. The Hawks can play him alongside Young to make up for his defensive deficiencies or come off the bench and run point with the second unit.
Suppose the relationship with the Hawks doesn’t work well, no worries. He’s only a two-year deal, so there’s no long-term commitment there, and with an average salary of $5 million, his contract is very tradeable.