The Atlanta Hawks have made some big moves over the past few days that will have a significant effect on the squad moving forward. After successfully getting their man in Clint Capela from the Houston Rockets, it turns out that they had another trick up their sleeve. On Wednesday, they announced the arrival of another center, Dewayne Dedmon, who spent two productive seasons with the Hawks before signing with the Sacramento Kings as a free agent last summer. In exchange, the Kings got Jabari Parker and Alex Len, while also sending two future second-round picks to the Hawks. So who wins this trade?
For starters, this move was a pretty impressive one for Atlanta. At 14-38, the Hawks are without question, one of the worst teams in the league today. This has not, however, stopped them from making some forward-looking moves to improve their highly-promising core of youngsters. In Capela, Atlanta get the starting center that they have long hoped for, allowing John Collins to shift to a much-preferred power forward spot. They still needed to fortify their frontcourt, though, and Dedmon was exactly the type of player they needed for their second unit.
Alex Len was never really able to live up to his potential, and while parting ways with his expiring deal was a significant loss, the addition of Dedmon was worth the price. The same can be said for Parker, who deputized well during Collins' 25-game PED suspension earlier in the season, but seemed surplus to requirements with the Hawks at full strength. The two future second-round picks (2020 and 2021) just made this deal even sweeter for Atlanta, giving them more options for the future.
Overall grade: A-
For this Kings, this benefits them on two fronts. First, they finally get rid of a disgruntled Dedmon, who made it clear how unhappy he was in Sacramento. He is still owed upwards of $26 million over the next two seasons, so the Kings will be more than happy to get his deal off their books.
Secondly, this trade provides Sacramento with more financial flexibility as they hope to re-sign incoming free agent Bogdan Bogdanovic this summer. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard (14.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.9 steals, and 2.6 triples) has proven to be one of the key cogs for this team's future, and the Kings have to put his extension at the top of their priority list this coming offseason.
Bogdanovic will almost certainly require a huge sum, so it appears that Sacramento are doing everything they can to prepare themselves for this eventuality. The acquisition of Len's expiring deal and Parker's $6.5 million player option next season helps them do just that. Parting ways with the two second-rounders could not have been an easy pill to swallow, but if this allows them to bring back Bogdanovic in the summer, then it will all be worth it.
Overall grade: B
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