Did the Hawks Get Better? Grading Atlanta’s signing of Nickeil Alexander-Walker

One of the best available free agents was Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker and he was highly sought after by plenty of teams. The Atlanta Hawks won the sweepstakes though, signing him to a four-year, $62 million deal in a sign and trade with Minnesota. Alexander-Walker is a high-level two-way player and instantly boosts the Hawks point of attack defense and three point shooting.

The Atlanta Hawks have been one of the most active teams this NBA offseason and have been in headlines for making many moves that have added up to them being, in some people's eyes, a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference. Firstly, it began when they made changes within the front office, specifically when they promoted Onsi Saleh from Assistant General Manager to General Manager of the team. Since then, the Hawks traded for Kristaps Porzingis and made moves in the NBA Draft to get the 23rd overall pick and a future 2026 unprotected pick in next year's NBA Draft.

These moves have led many people to believe the Hawks have put themselves in real playoff contention and are now entering the conversation of teams to watch. As of yesterday, the Hawks have been in the headlines as having one of the best offseasons this year after signing both Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard. Alexander-Walker is one of the top three and D players in the NBA, and this helps the Hawks in both defense and three-point shooting, which is something they lacked last season.