Atlanta Hawks reportedly eyeing Peyton Watson

A first-round selection four years ago, taken 30th overall, Watson has slowly worked his way into a really respectable starting-caliber player. He’s coming off a breakout campaign in which he averaged 14.6 points per game on 49% shooting from the field and 41% from three-point range, to go along with 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists.

The Hawks currently sit at around $196 million in payroll. That’s $4 million under the luxury tax threshold and $13 million below the first apron. In the past, we’ve never seen ownership willing to go into the luxury tax, despite constant promises that they would be willing to for the right pieces. Perhaps they’re starting to see the light with the direction this club is headed, but Atlanta also has to make some subtractions from their current roster to shed salary.

The Hawks already have 17 players on their roster. Adding Watson would make it 18, meaning they’d need to get rid of three players. Some obvious candidates to be dumped are Corey Kispert, Buddy Hield, Devin Carter, and Ryan Nembhard — with some of those contracts being much easier to move than others.

Atlanta is much deeper on the wing with the additions of Aaron Wiggins and Lu Dort this offseason, but Watson’s length, perimeter shooting, and overall upside make him a very intriguing fit. The Hawks have a lot of bullies who are going to make things tough on opposing offenses as they grind through an 82-game schedule, but they need more guys who can knock down shots from behind the arc, or there are going to be a lot of ugly affairs at State Farm Arena.