2021 NBA Free Agency Grades: Atlanta Hawks
Key Additions: Delon Wright (trade), Gorgui Dieng (1-yr, $4 million)
Brought Back: Trae Young (5-yr, $207 million extension), John Collins (5-yr, $125 million), Lou Williams (1-yr, $5 million), Solomon Hill (minimum)
Key Departures: Kris Dunn (trade to Boston), Bruno Fernando (trade to Boston)
The Atlanta Hawks didn’t want to shake things up this offseason; they like what they are building, a few veteran role players plugged into a young core just now starting to hit their second contract. Collins was the first one of those young players to reach his payday, and the Hawks waited out his desire for a max contract and gave him a very reasonable five-year, $125 million deal.
They also made sure that they wouldn’t have to deal with negotiations next summer with Trae Young, inking him to a five-year, maximum extension worth up to $207 million if he makes an All-NBA team this upcoming season.
Atlanta was a part of a three-team trade Boston initiated to cut salary, shipping out Kris Dunn and Bruno Fernando — neither was a part of the Hawks’ playoff rotation — for two-way guard Delon Wright, who is both reasonably paid and good enough to be a part of the future playoff rotation.
To fill out the fringes of the roster, Atlanta brought back Solomon Hill on the minimum and Lou Williams on a one-year, $5 million deal. To replace Fernando at center and fill in some minutes while Onyeka Okongwu recovers from offseason surgery the team added Gorgui Dieng on a one-year, $4 million deal.
No big splashes, but long-term stability and a recognition that this team is growing and its future will now be dictated by the players already on the roster. It was a successful few days of business for the Hawks.
Grade: A-