The Atlanta Hawks made a big offseason move last year to acquire Dejounte Murray. The Hawks were hopeful that the addition of Murray would get them back to being a contender in the Eastern Conference.
Atlanta made the Conference Finals in 2021 but has been eliminated in the first round in two straight seasons. They have not built on their early success with Trae Young and have a crucial offseason in front of them.
The Hawks took the Boston Celtics to six games in the first round but were unable to advance. A rumor that came out during the playoff series is Young could be traded in the offseason. However, he had a good series against the Celtics. His play could be enough for the Hawks to run it back for another season. He is a very talented offensive player as an elite scorer and playmaker. Young's defense is his liability as teams hunt for him in the playoffs to take advantage of his play on defense.
If Young can grow as a defender, it would tremendously help improve the Hawks. Outside of Young, Atlanta could improve with a full season under head coach Quin Snyder. Snyder is a great coach, but he came over after the midseason mark and didn't have much time with the team.
A full season with Snyder, who is retooling the coaching staff around him, could make a difference for the Hawks. They will also look to make upgrades to their roster. With that said, here are three early NBA free agency targets for the Hawks in the 2023 offseason.
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3. Kevin Love
Adding another big to the rotation that can stretch the floor and play in small-ball lineups would be wise. Atlanta has Clint Capela and Onyeka Okungwu, who are lob threats, rebounders, and rim protectors. Signing Love would give them a different type of big man, as he can space the floor and be another scorer.
Love is also great at getting his team out in transition with a throw-ahead pass right after getting the rebound. Love is having a great playoff run with the Miami Heat, averaging 9.7 points and seven rebounds, shooting 41.5 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent from three. He would be a quality big off the bench for the Hawks and give them more versatility.
2. Caris LeVert
Caris LeVert would be a good addition to the Hawks. LeVert is a solid scorer that would add to their bench unit. He averaged 12.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. LeVert shot 43.1 percent from the floor and 39.2 percent from downtown.
LeVert's also a solid defender and would be a good wing to add to the team.
1. Jordan Clarkson
Another need that Atlanta needs to address is adding a scoring punch off the bench. Clarkson is one of the best scorers off the bench in the NBA. As he hits free agency, many teams will be interested in signing him. The Hawks should be among the interested teams, as they could use another ball handler and scorer.
Clarkson averaged 20.8 points and 4.4 assists this season while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from behind the arc. His scoring punch would give the Hawks improved scoring off the bench and another ball-handler outside of Young and Murray. Signing him could be even more important if Bogdan Bogdanovic leaves in free agency, which seems likely after he declined his player option.
If the Hawks can get Clarkson, he would be a great fit off the bench.
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