Hawks continue active offseason with two significant moves

Atlanta made it clear from the start of the offseason that bringing back McCollum was a top priority. Acquiring him at the trade deadline was the single biggest difference between the team’s first half and second half, with the Hawks winning 19 of their final 23 games after he was thrust into the starting lineup.

The one-year, $21 million deal should be viewed as a bargain. There’s no such thing as a bad one-year contract, and McCollum is still a bonafide bucket getter who can fill it up with the best of them when he gets going — something the entire world witnessed against the New York Knicks.

The trade for Wiggins is tremendous value on paper as well. The Hawks scooped him up for just a couple of second-round picks, and he’s under contract for three more seasons at no more than 5.5 percent of the salary cap.

One thing that was overwhelmingly apparent once Atlanta reached the postseason was the lack of depth. If Jonathan Kuminga couldn’t get going, the bench was essentially useless. Wiggins fell out of the rotation this past season in Oklahoma City, but that’s nothing to be ashamed of given how deep the Thunder are. He’ll instantly become a fixture in the Hawks rotation — just a year removed from averaging 12.0 points per game on nearly 50 percent shooting from the field and over 38 percent from deep.

The Hawks roster already looks better than it did when the season ended, and there’s still a ton of work to be done. They own two first-round picks, including the eighth overall selection, in the upcoming draft, and they still have the ability to swing a blockbuster trade to turn themselves into immediate contenders if they so choose.

The offseason fun is just getting started in Atlanta.