(From left) Dejounte Murray, Trae Young and coach Quin Snyder are looking to bring Atlanta into the upper crust in the East.
Key Additions
- G Kobe Bufkin (draft), G Patty Mills (free agency)
Key Subtraction
- F John Collins
Last season
Once a team on the rise, the Hawks were entangled in turmoil in a season where they fired their coach (Nate McMillan) partly to pacify the franchise player, became an average team and didn’t make it out of the first round. It certainly wasn’t what the organization had in mind, dealing with a season in which it took another step backward.
McMillan got the ax not long after a spat between him and Trae Young. Rather than go the interim route for the remainder of the year, the Hawks hired Quin Snyder, who was sitting at home waiting for the next opportunity.
It was a curiously quick decision by both sides. Snyder could’ve waited until summer and had his pick of this offseason’s coaching openings, which took place in Milwaukee, Phoenix and Philadelphia, among other places. Wouldn’t those jobs — especially Milwaukee and Phoenix — have been more attractive than Atlanta?
Snyder’s immediate goal was to forge a working relationship with Young, who saw his rep take a hit. Despite averaging 26.2 points and 10.2 assists per game, Young wasn’t selected by coaches for the All-Star Game. Additionally, a handful of player polls conducted by the media slighted him as well.
Young struggled with his outside shooting, making just 33.5% of his 3-pointers, and once again was a liability defensively. But he wasn’t totally to blame for the Hawks’ 41-win season. While Dejounte Murray was solid at both ends, none of the rotational Hawks had a breakout season.
A midseason trade brought in Saddiq Bey to add another shooter, but otherwise the Hawks refused a major shakeup in what became an unremarkable season.
Summer summary
Collins no longer needs to worry about reporting to Hawks camp this fall and addressing trade rumors. This was a running joke because for the last few seasons, Collins was projected to be anywhere but Atlanta. Those rumors became fact, finally, when Collins was shipped to Utah as free agency opened in July.
And the Hawks, by waiting so long, saw Collins’ value drop, to the point where they didn’t get another good young rotational piece in return (no offense to Mills, who came in a separate trade). Collins at one point in his career was a double-double threat, then saw his production dip rather quickly, leaving the summer market barren. Collins was actually swapped for Rudy Gay and a future second-round pick, but Gay was rerouted to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Mills, a steady guard who’s well in his twilight and is likely targeted for a short stay, maybe just a season.
It's @ATLHawks Team Day on NBA TV! 🍿 pic.twitter.com/DOWIs3ILN1
— NBA TV (@NBATV) September 19, 2023
That was the extent of the Hawks’ not-so-busy summer. The new front-office regime of Landry Fields and Kyle Korver apparently plans to use the upcoming season as a wait-and-see regarding major changes, if any. Which means, for the most part, the Hawks are content to run it back with a club that underachieved last season, putting yet more distance between the Hawks and their 2021 Eastern Conference Finals appearance.
This meant keeping the Young-Murray backcourt intact, not that there was ever any attempt to trade either player. Young received his rookie extension a year ago and Murray tacked on four more years this summer. Unless something changes, the Hawks are in for the long haul with this backcourt.
Dejounte Murray on extension: Years matter more than money
They also chose to keep De’Andre Hunter, at least for now. Hunter was extended a few summers ago but Atlanta is still waiting for him to reach his peak. Or maybe he has.
In that sense, Hunter is the most likely candidate to become the next Collins: a young starter who loses his shine and is more likely than not to see Atlanta in the rearview mirror soon.
Up next: Portland Trail Blazers | Previously: Brooklyn Nets
> 30 teams in 30 days: Complete schedule
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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