NBA free agency is almost here.
Like the rest of the NBA, the Hawks will look to take advantage of the period, which begins Sunday, as they try to improve the roster and build it into a sustainable contender.
They’ve already dealt young wing AJ Griffin to the Rockets, which netted them a second-round draft pick that allowed them to take Nikola Djurisic. They split up their backcourt tandem of Dejounte Murray and Trae Young, sending the former to the Pelicans bringing in a haul of young players, a vet and future draft picks.
On Saturday, they have to make several decisions on a few players further down their bench, and they opted not to tender a qualifying offer to restricted free agent Saddiq Bey, who became an unrestricted free agent.
The Hawks had entered negotiations with Bey last season and ultimately could not reach a deal. Bey was on his four-year, $13 million rookie contract and had carved out a valuable space in the Hawks rotation. Though he struggled to shoot efficiently on 3-point shots, he provided the Hawks with a capable defender with his size.
Unfortunately for Bey, an ACL injury cut his season short. He had surgery to repair it in March and will spend his offseason recovering and rehabbing.
The decision not to tender Bey could have come down to how the money lines up with the team currently committing $166 million in salary to those under contract. The Hawks are over the salary cap, but do have some room before they hit the $171 million threshold that would make them pay the luxury tax.
The team decided to pick up Garrison Mathews’ $2.2 million club option, according to a person familiar with the situation. Mathews becomes extension-eligible July 6 and played a large role last season, providing them with depth amid numerous injuries.
Mathews bolstered the Hawks defense on the wing, giving them plenty of hustle while shooting at a 44% clip on 2.9 3-point attempts per game. He had plenty of fans in the Hawks front office who liked the way he developed last season.
The Hawks acquired Mathews at the 2023 trade deadline, along with center Bruno Fernando from the Rockets. They have to decide whether they will guarantee the $2.7 million remaining on his four-year deal.
Both Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu dealt with injuries last season, and Fernando grew into his role as the team’s backup big. He still has room to develop, but with the Hawks still needing size, Fernando can continue to provide that.
Wing Vit Krejci also can fill out an already deep group of wings following the draft selections of Zaccaharie Risacher and Nikola Djuricic last week.
They’ve already tendered a two-way qualifying offer to Seth Lundy, but cannot do the same for Dylan Windler since he already has four years of service in the NBA.
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