Who Are The Remaining Free Agents the Atlanta Hawks Should Target This Offseason?

While Atlanta has addressed the team's needs in terms of defense and shooting, there is still room for growth in these areas, and adding the veteran presence of Chris Boucher would be beneficial. It is worth noting that Chris Boucher is a two-time back-to-back NBA Champion, having won with both the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. Boucher, 32, is still relatively young but has enough experience to lead the second unit for the Hawks, averaging 10 points per game, along with 4.5 rebounds, on 49/36/78% shooting splits in 50 games for the Raptors. His defensive rating for his career is 109.7 which gives him around average of the league's defensive ratings and would be a reliable option in terms of being a veteran mentor for this younger group of guys in Atlanta.

Boucher's last contract in Toronto was two years $13.5 million, and it would be interesting to see any other team offer him more than that in the future. In terms of Boucher's opinion on the matter, in an interview with hoops hype, he stated: "I want to be able to help a team win. I think that I’m able to fill a lot of roles. One thing that’s good about me is you can put me almost anywhere except point guard. I’ll figure out a way to be impactful and consistent. I think I’m at the point where I can be on a team to help them win, play meaningful minutes, have a consistent role, and not hoping or not knowing what’s coming next."

The Hawks could use a player like this with the losses of Clint Capela and Larry Nance Jr, and this would only help Trae in terms of having another pick-and-roll partner.

Gary Payton II (Golden State Warriors)

Another veteran option for this young Hawks team could be Gary Payton II, who has been a quiet cornerstone piece for the Golden State Warriors over the last few years. Payton averaged 6.5 points, three rebounds, and nearly one steal per game on 57/32/71% shooting splits in the regular season. In the playoffs, however, he shot the ball 44.7% from the field and 39% from three-point range in quality minutes for a team that upset the second-seeded Houston Rockets in the first round. Peyton's defensive rating for his career is 108.5, and in his 2021-22 championship season with the Warriors, it was a 102.6, which are amongst the best in the league.

Adding Payton II to the Hawks' roster would be more beneficial on the defensive side of things. In the postseason, he has demonstrated that he can step up in big moments, which contributed to the Warriors' championship win. If the Hawks were to add him to this roster, at 32 years of age, he could help mentor this young team and take them to the next level with his championship experience coming off the bench.

Thomas Bryant (Indiana Pacers)

Thomas Bryant's impact on the Indiana Pacers this season was notable, particularly in his ability to contribute on both offense and defense after joining the team from the Miami Heat earlier in the season. Bryant would bring post defense and shooting to the Atlanta Hawks, which is something the team is looking to build on going forward. He would also bring championship-level experience, having won a championship with the Denver Nuggets two seasons ago and coming off another finals appearance with the Indiana Pacers. For his career, Thomas has been known to be a bit of a streaky shooter from deep range, with seasons where he shot over 40% and some where he shot below that. Still, from the floor, he is efficient, having shot 51% this season with shooting splits of 50/32/85% and averaging 6.5 points and 3.8 rebounds.

While this may not be the most eye-popping signing, the Hawks should still consider it, as Bryant is 27 years old and brings eight years of experience to add to this young roster, which could be serviceable in the pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop with Trae Young.

De'Anthony Melton (Golden State Warriors)

De'Anthony Melton's impact on every team he's been on has been on both ends of the court, as he has been relied upon to be a "Three and D" player. This season, Melton averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in six games as he injured his ACL. For his career, Melton averages 9.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game on 41/36/77% shooting splits and has a defensive rating of 109.6 for his career, which has been valuable in his seven-year NBA career and is above league average.

If the Hawks add Melton to the roster, he would help out off the bench in terms of defense and three-point shooting, which are two areas they have been emphasizing improvement in this season. Additionally, he would bring veteran experience to this young roster and help keep their hopes of being contenders alive.

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