Hawks Continue To Add 3-Pt Shooting With Thursday Signing

Hawks Continue To Add 3-Pt Shooting With Thursday Signing

Caleb Houstan Agrees To 1-Year Deal With Hawks

Free agency has trickled down to a near standstill, with news of signings few and far between. On Thursday, the Hawks made a signing. As first reported by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Caleb Houstan is joining Atlanta on a one-year contract. While terms have yet to be disclosed, one can assume that it is likely a minimum deal.

Getting ready to enter his fourth NBA season, Houstan spent his first three years as a member of the Orlando Magic. The team selected him with the 32nd pick out of Michigan in the 2022 NBA Draft. Last season in 58 games (six starts), he averaged 4.1 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 13.6 minutes. The 6-foot-8 small forward shot 40% from deep, connecting on 64 of his 160 three-point tries.

His three-point accuracy has improved in each year that he has been in the league. As a rookie, Houstan made 33.8% of his threes, and that increased to 37.3% in 2023-24. During his one year at Michigan, Houstan nailed 35.5% of his attempts from beyond the arc.

Still just 22 years old (turns 23 on January 9), further development from Houstan’s game can be expected.

Offseason Of Adding Outside Shooters

As mentioned, the Hawks made other moves this offseason to ensure that the team will show improvement from three-point territory. While Houstan is a nice addition as a cheap three-point shooter, there’s a good chance that a fully-healthy Atlanta squad won’t utilize him in their rotation.

Someone who will always receive playing time as long as he remains healthy is center Krisrtaps Porzingis. The soon-to-be 30-year-old was acquired in a deal with the Boston Celtics. Last season, he shot a career-best 41.2% from three-point range. He provides an element as a stretch-five that Atlanta didn’t have in 2024-25 with Onyeka Okongwu (although he attempted 148 threes) or Clint Caepla.

The Hawks also signed Nickeil Alexander-Walker away from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The team and player agreed on a four-year deal worth over $60 million. Turning 27 years old on September 2, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard shot 38.1% from deep in 2024-25. It was the third straight year that he shot better than 38%.

Lastly, Atlanta also added one of the game’s top three-point marksmen in Luke Kennard. The 29-year-old led the league in three-point percentage in both 2021-22 and 2022-23. Last season with the Memphis Grizzlies, Kennard made 43.3% from three-point range, just shy of his career mark of 43.8%. That is the third-highest career percentage in NBA history amongst players who have made at least 250, only behind Steve Kerr and Hubert Davis.

While Houstan may not receive a lot of playing time, he adds to the list of shooters brought in by the Hawks this offseason. Atlanta is looking to avoid the Play-In Tournament they have qualified for the past four years, and instead just go straight into the playoffs as a top-six seed.