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NBA free agency is about to open and the frenzy of player movement will take over the league in the coming weeks. Teams are eager to make big swings and improve their rosters, and the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks are two teams trying to take a step up into the tier of contenders in their respective conferences.
In order to do that, both teams need to add more depth on the wing. From the sounds of it, it looks like they are both in good position to do so, with the Rockets eyeing both Dorian Finney-Smith and Luke Kennard, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
“In addition to its well-chronicled interest in Dorian Finney-Smith, Houston wants to explore the feasibility of signing Luke Kennard,” Fischer and Stein wrote.”
Meanwhile, out in the Eastern Conference, the Hawks are hot after former Minnesota Timberwolves guard after Nickeil Alexander-Walker in addition to Kennard.
“The Hawks and Nuggets, sources say, also have interest in Kennard,” Fischer and Stein reported. “Atlanta landing both Kennard and Nickeil Alexander-Walker would mark noted boosts to its wing rotation.”
At the moment, the Rockets seem to be the frontrunner for Finney-Smith after he opted out of the final year of his contact with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Florida product is a big wing who can defend and shoots the 3-ball better than the league average, so he will fit right in next to Kevin Durant with the new-look Rockets if they can finalize a deal.
On the Hawks side, Alexander-Walker would add another long, versatile defender to a wing room that is already loaded with talent in Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson and Zaccharie Risacher. Alexander-Walker can also handle the ball some on offense and knock down shots from the perimeter, making him a coveted target in free agency.
Kennard is one of the best bench shooters in this class, so it comes as no surprise that playoff contenders everywhere are after his services.
If the Hawks and Rockets can get their hands on some of these top wings in this free agent class, they could both be in position to make deep playoff runs next season.
