The Atlanta Hawks have made a number of smart moves in recent years, but the Kevin Huerter trade was not one of them.
So, what’s the deal with the Hawks and Kevin Huerter?
The Athletic’s former Atlanta Hawks beat reporter shed light on the Kevin Huerter trade.
Throughout the first 15 games of the NBA season, the Atlanta Hawks offense has been a disaster. The team’s inability to hit outside shots has exacerbated Atlanta’s unhealthy shot diet.
Atlanta currently ranks 29th in three-point attempts and last in three-pointers made. The lack of floor spacing has hampered the once-prolific offense.
Of course, everyone who was paying attention this summer predicted a slight drop in the team’s offensive output. A reshuffling was expected following the disappointing 2021-22 season. However, one trade caught Hawks fans off guard.
Atlanta dealt shooting guard Kevin Huerter to the Sacramento Kings in July in exchange for Justin Holiday, Moe Harkless, and a future draft pick.
In the 2018 NBA Draft, Huerter was selected with the 19th overall pick. During his three seasons in Atlanta, Huerter averaged an efficient 12 points per game.
His heroic performance in the 2021 Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers earned him the nickname “Game 7 Kevin.”
Even Huerter was taken aback when he learned he had been traded. “My official welcome to the NBA moment,” the fourth-year player tweeted.
Readers are free to make their own assumptions about who is to blame for the trade. Huerter has excelled in Sacramento, averaging a career-high 16.1 points per game and shooting 51% from three.
Fans and the media have both identified the Huerter trade as a cost-cutting move.
Chris Kirschner of The Athletic covered the Atlanta Hawks for four years before being promoted to cover the New York Yankees. Kirschner provided some insight into the Huerter trade in a tweet yesterday, saying: “The Huerter trade was an abomination but that didn’t come from the front office.”
