The Atlanta Hawks entered the 2021-22 NBA season with high expectations, and for good reason. They made a surprising run in the 2021 playoffs, including an upset of the top-seeded 76ers in the second round. While they lost to the eventual-champion Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals, fans celebrated such a run and expected them to build off it next season.
When the season rolled around, Atlanta took a step back instead of forward. The Hawks finished ninth in the East with a 43-39 record to earn a play-in berth. They advanced through the play-in tournament, but fell to the Heat in just five games.
Coming off the disappointing season, Atlanta gave its roster a big shake up. The Hawks made some of the biggest moves of any team this offseason, to mixed results.
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Offseason Grades For Hawks
Draft
Atlanta didn't have the luxury of a top pick in the 2022 draft. Thanks to another move the Hawks made this offseason, they won't have many draft picks in the near future. The Hawks needed to do well in the 2022 draft because their margin for error is now razor thin.
Atlanta selected Duke forward A.J. Griffin with the No. 16 overall pick. Griffin took time to settle in with the Blue Devils, but became a quality starter down the stretch. He averaged 10.4 points per game on 49.3% shooting and 44.7% from beyond the arch.
The Hawks then traded down with the Warriors in the second round and landed UConn forward Tyrese Martin. Unlike Griffin, Martin played four seasons in college and showed clear growth each year. He averaged 13.6 points per game for the Huskies on 44.9% shooting and 43% from three-point range.
While the Hawks didn't get a true game-changer in the draft, they still made smart selections. Both Griffin and Martin have high upside and can potentially help the team immediately. For a team missing many future draft picks, Atlanta did what it needed to do.
Grade: B+
Free Agency
Atlanta didn't make much of a splash on the free agency market. The Hawks acquired just two players via free agency: Frank Kaminsky and Aaron Holiday.
Kaminsky saw very little playing time last season, appearing in just nine games for the Suns and starting none. Still, he scored 10.6 points while playing over 20 minutes per game. If he can replicate that production over a larger sample size, he could become a solid rotational player for the Hawks.
Holiday is mostly a career backup, starting just 56 games in four seasons. He split time between the Wizards and Suns last season, averaging 6.3 points per game. He shot an impressive 44.7% from the field, giving him value as a backup guard behind Trae Young.
Both Holiday and Kaminsky combine to make less than $5 million annually on their new contracts. The Hawks are above the luxury tax threshold, so they didn't have much money to throw around at free agents. Atlanta did what it could, but that doesn't exactly move the needle.
Grade: C
Trades
Atlanta did most of its offseason work on the trade market. The Hawks made one of the first big splashes of the offseason by acquiring Dejounte Murray and Jock Landale from the Spurs. In return, they gave up Danilo Gallinari, three first-round picks and a pick swap.
Murray is undeniably a great player on both ends of the court. He averaged 21.1 points and 9.2 assists per game last season while shooting 46.1% from the field. He also led the league in steals with two per game, so he should improve a Hawks defense that finished bottom 10 in points allowed.
Despite Murray's impressive resume, the Hawks made a huge gamble by giving up so much of their future. Three firsts and a pick swap will severely handicap Atlanta's ability to acquire young talent. If Murray doesn't pan out, then the Hawks just gave the Spurs lottery picks for years to come.
Murray is also a strange fit alongside Young. Both players perform best with the ball in their hands, so one of them will have to adjust their game to compliment the other. While the trade has potential for success, it has more potential to backfire.
To make room for Murray, the Hawks shipped out Kevin Huerter to the Kings days later. In exchange for Huerter, the Hawks acquired Moe Harkless and Justin Holiday, both on expiring contracts, and a 2024 first.
The Hawks main goal in this trade was to shed salary, and they definitely accomplished that. They got out of paying Huerter $65 million over the next four seasons, and took on only around $11 million for next season. They also recouped a future first, slightly reducing the gamble of the Murray trade.
Harkless and especially Justin Holiday, who averaged over 10 points per game last season, could be solid rotational pieces for Atlanta. However, losing Huerter is a tough pill to swallow. It's reasonable to suggest that the Hawks could've gotten more for him as well.
Grade: D+
Recap
Atlanta definitely improved the team over the offseason. While Murray may take some time to adjust to the Hawks' system, he's a great player who should succeed on a new team. They also acquired solid young talent in the draft to compliment what they already have.
However, they took a massive gamble to do so. If Murray fails to mesh with his new team, the trade will look even more disastrous than it does now. But if he does fit in well and helps Atlanta reach the promised land, then no one will remember the futures they gave up to get there.
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