{"id":113816,"date":"2024-12-25T14:47:09","date_gmt":"2024-12-25T19:47:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=113816"},"modified":"2024-12-25T14:47:09","modified_gmt":"2024-12-25T19:47:09","slug":"time-hawks-raptors-revisit-trade-talks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/25\/time-hawks-raptors-revisit-trade-talks\/","title":{"rendered":"Is It Time For Hawks, Raptors To Revisit Trade Talks?"},"content":{"rendered":"

There was a time when the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors appeared to be inching towards a trade centered around All-Star forward Pascal Siakam<\/a>. In said deal, the Raptors likely would\u2019ve acquired De\u2019Andre Hunter<\/a>, who the Hawks have long been trying to move<\/a> in order to lower their payroll.<\/p>\n

Is It Time For Hawks, Raptors To Revisit Trade Talks?<\/h2>\n

Of course, Siakam was eventually traded to the Indiana Pacers for a package that included<\/a> three first-round picks. However, the Hawks still haven\u2019t committed to Hunter, despite the 27-year-old currently averaging a career-high 20.1 points per game. His seeming availability and the Raptors\u2019 new roster needs beg the question:<\/p>\n

Should Toronto re-enter trade talks with Atlanta using Bruce Brown<\/a>\u2019s expiring $23 million contract as a trade chip, this time with the focus exclusively on Hunter?<\/p>\n

The former No. 4 pick is one of the rare players who could score in bunches as a starter but doesn\u2019t mind doing so while coming off the bench. In fact, towards the end of last season, he requested to be moved to the second unit so that he could be more aggressive. If traded to the Raptors, it\u2019s this adaptability that makes him particularly valuable to their franchise.<\/p>\n

A Far More Useful Weapon<\/h3>\n

At full strength, the Raptors\u2019 starting lineup is all but set.<\/p>\n

Immanuel Quickley<\/a>, RJ Barrett<\/a>, and Gradey Dick<\/a> man the perimeter. Though his versatility makes it difficult to put him in a box, Scottie Barnes<\/a> shares the frontcourt with Jakob Poeltl<\/a>. However, Barnes and Quickley have had trouble staying on the court over the past two seasons. In those moments, a teammate may have the \u2018next man up\u2019 mentality but lack the actual ability to fill the void.<\/p>\n

If they had Hunter at their disposal, then the Raptors wouldn\u2019t have so much trouble manufacturing offense when one of their stars went down. He isn\u2019t as dynamic a playmaker as Barnes or Barrett. Nonetheless, he\u2019s a far more effective and reliable scorer than rookies Jonathan Mogbo<\/a> and Ja\u2019Kobe Walter<\/a>, who have received multiple spot starts in their place.<\/p>\n

To that point, Toronto is 6-0 when Mogbo starts but he\u2019s averaging 6.3 points per contest in those games. Walter has been much more productive, averaging 11.3 points per game. Nonetheless, the efficiency concerns that tainted his numbers at Baylor have never left. The 20-year-old has converted just 40.9 percent of his field goals and 33.3 percent of his three-pointers in those contests. So, it makes sense that Toronto is 3-3 in his<\/em> starts.<\/p>\n

Is Winning The Priority?<\/h3>\n

When considering that the Hawks are 11-4 when Hunter scores at least 15 points<\/a> this season, his impact as a sixth man can\u2019t be understated. Conversely, the Raptors\u2019 bench ranks 22nd in points per game<\/a> (33.5). Adding Hunter, who leads the NBA in bench scoring<\/a>, helps them win crucial minutes and potentially the game.<\/p>\n

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Hawks forward De\u2019Andre Hunter scored a team-high 27 points in 36 minutes against the Spurs last night. He\u2019s already led his team in scoring in career-high 7 games this season and is now averaging a career-high 19.8 PPG pic.twitter.com\/HzgyTCVppA<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 \u211a (@qshironalberti3) December 20, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n