Does this trade make sense for the Atlanta Hawks?
Danilo Gallinari was a player on the Atlanta Hawks radar for a while before they signed him last offseason and he really did have an impact for them this year. He missed time early on during the 2020-21 season due to injuries, but in 51 games, he averaged 13.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and shot 40.6% from three-point range primarily off-the-bench.
Bench scoring was a huge part of Atlanta’s success during the regular season and in the playoffs, as they made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals for just the second-time since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976. Trading Danilo Gallinari does not seem to make much sense at first glance, but this is definitely a trade that could work out in favor of the Hawks.
Not only is Ricky Rubio a veteran guard who can supply the Hawks with some much needed depth behind Trae Young in their depth chart, but Jarrett Culver is a young talent they can add to their arsenal at the shooting guard position and most importantly, they would free up some much needed cap space moving forward.
As mentioned earlier, the Hawks do have intentions of bringing John Collins back this offseason and they also are expected to reach a big long-term agreement with Trae Young in the near future, which means they will be paying a lot of money to their young talents over the next several years. Having open salary space to sign these guys to long-term deals is critical, which is why taking on Culver’s small contract and Rubio’s one-year deal definitely makes sense from a financial standpoint.
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Jarrett Culver really is not that bad of a player either, he just has had trouble remaining healthy. Plus, the Hawks could definitely use some added depth at the shooting guard position and on the wing, especially given all the injuries they dealt with this season to Bogdan Bogdanovic, Cam Reddish, DeAndre’ Hunter and even Danilo Gallinari at times.
Taking on Culver’s contract does not hurt the Atlanta Hawks in any way and the worst thing that happens is they decline his team option for the 2022-23 season and they would not be tied down to paying him any longer. Ricky Rubio can definitely aid the Hawks on both ends of the court, which is why taking on his contract for one year could definitely make sense.
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In the grand scheme of things, there are more pros to trading away Danilo Gallinari than cons, which is why Atlanta could definitely entertain the idea of doing so this offseason. It may take more than Rubio and Culver for the Hawks to trade Gallinari away, but this is definitely a deal that can make them a stronger team in their backcourt heading into next season.
