The Atlanta Hawks have been one of the most active teams in the NBA this offseason. Highlighted by their blockbuster trade to land DeJounte Murray, the team has made it clear they are in win-now mode. The work is not over and the franchise still has some key decisions to make with the roster. One of these key decisions is what to do with De'Andre Hunter.
The 24-year-old is entering the final year of his rookie contract. De'Andre Hunter is now eligible for a rookie extension and will be a restricted free agent next summer if a deal is not reached. The Hawks had difficulty reaching an extension with John Collins and have faced similar issues in negotiations with Hunter. The two sides are reportedly roughly $20 million apart on a four-year deal which is a large margin in negotiation. There also are some notable injury concerns that have made the Hawks nervous to make such a commitment.
There is a lot to juggle as the Hawks make cap decisions down the line. The franchise has clearly made a commitment to DeJounte Murray after giving up three first-round picks to land the guard. Murray will also be entering the final year of his contract this season and will be set for a major payday. While there clearly are some tough decisions to make, the Hawks would be wise to pay up for De'Andre Hunter and ensure his long-term future with the franchise.
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Why Hawks must pay up on contract extension for De'Andre Hunter
Fit With Trae Young
The Hawks should be making every decision based on how to best optimize Trae Young. If one thing has been made clear during their three years together, it is that De'Andre Hunter does just this. For everything that Trae Young does well, he never will be a plus defender. Pairing him with above-average defenders is extremely important. De'Andre Hunter has proven to be this and maintains his status as an elite NBA defender.
The Virginia product is also a clean fit on the offensive side of the ball. Hunter has career averages of 13.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. He also has connected on 35.9% of his three-point attempts while launching 4.3 attempts per game. He is content operating primarily as a spot-up shooter and does not need to be ball-dominant in the offense. Standing 6'8″ and with high-level toughness, there is a lot to like with Hunter's fit next to Trae Young.
Postseason Fit
If one thing has become clear in recent years, it is the mindset is slightly different for building for the regular season and postseason. Each weakness is magnified greater and teams are able to make adjustments throughout the series that otherwise do not occur on a game-to-game basis. There are some guys who can be classified as regular season players due to their weaknesses. De'Andre Hunter is not a player that fits this category. Hunter's two-way ability has a positive impact on winning that will become increasingly important as the team transitions to the postseason.
Potential
At just 24 years old, there still is plenty of room for De'Andre Hunter to continue growing. The wing has had a somewhat up-and-down developmental process and will benefit from a more clear role. While he has been portrayed as a guard at times, Hunter seems a cleaner fit on the wing. The addition of DeJounte Murray will make this transition occur naturally. The best route to his development is to take away some of the ball-handling responsibilities and prevent him from having to do too much.
Crazy defense by DeAndre Hunter 🗜
(h/t @AhnFireDigital ) pic.twitter.com/MAaoaSjxp4
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) January 15, 2022
The most intriguing area for growth for Hunter is on the defensive side of the ball. It should not be a hot take to believe he can crack an All-Defensive team before his career is over. Hunter has shown elite flashes on this side of the ball that should excite Hawks fans. Pairing this type of high-level defender with Trae Young in the long term has exciting potential.
Having spent just three seasons in the league, there is plenty of room for Hunter to continue growing. The 24-year-old has played just 139 games across three seasons in the NBA thus far. While some are critical due to the injuries that have held him out, it also teases that there is more to his game if he can stay healthy.
No player is perfect and there are some fair reasons to be hesitant in handing De'Andre Hunter a long-term deal. However, there is so much potential for Hunter and he fits the team's long-term vision. Allowing him to walk away would be a massive mistake. The Hawks clearly have some tough decisions to make moving forward, but letting Hunter walk should not be one of them.
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