Atlanta Hawks Receive: F Talen Horton-Tucker, G Austin Reaves
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: G Kevin Huerter
The Atlanta Hawks’ 2021-22 season wasn’t as catastrophic as the Los Angeles Lakers’, but it was still a disappointment. After advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, they’ll fight for their postseason lives against the Charlotte Hornets instead this season.
The Hawks have run into an interesting problem lately: they almost drafted too well while they were rebuilding. Now, they’ve got more quality players than they can afford to pay.
Clearing cap space appears to be a priority for this club. They trade Cam Reddish to the Knicks at this year’s deadline for practically nothing. This deal offers them another opportunity to clear the books.
It’s hard to say whether Horton-Tucker would thrive in these new digs. In Atlanta, the world revolves around Trae Young. THT doesn’t feel like a suitable candidate to space the floor for the dynamic young point guard.
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Still, the Hawks could maximize his reps with the second unit and allow him to function as more of a ball-handler. Mainly, they’re getting off of Huerter’s 4-year, $56 million dollar pact.
It’s a contract the Los Angeles Lakers should be happy to take on. Huerter is shooting 37.9% from long range over the first 4 years of his NBA career. He’s exactly the type of floor spacer they should be pursuing to maximize James’ effectiveness.
At 37, it’s hard to say exactly how long that will last.
