The Atlanta Hawks continued their offseason moves by trading for Chandler Parsons, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Hawks are sending Solomon Hill and Miles Plumlee to the Grizzlies. Parsons gives the Hawks even more shooting and will likely come off the bench.
“Memphis has agreed to trade Chandler Parsons to Atlanta for Solomon Hill and Miles Plumlee, league sources tell ESPN…Memphis and Parsons were unable to agree on a buyout number, so Grizzlies made the trade with Atlanta. As @BobbyMarks42 says, it’s easier to move out salaries by breaking Parsons’ $25M into two smaller contracts. Hawks free a roster spot,” Wojnarowski tweeted.
The trade frees up a roster spot for Atlanta and even saves the Hawks a little bit of money. There is a chance the Hawks could reach a buyout agreement with Parsons, but it makes some sense to hang on to him if they believe he can add shooting off the bench. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie noted it is a good deal for both the Hawks and Grizzlies.
“Think this saves the Hawks like 200,000 and gives them one extra roster spot? So…sure Atlanta! Also, I tend to think it’s easier to maneuver when the bad contracts are in smaller chunks. So…sure Memphis!” Vecenie tweeted.
The Hawks previously acquired Evan Turner from the Blazers in exchange for Kent Bazemore. Atlanta also drafted DeAndre Hunter and Cam Reddish to add to their young core. Here is an updated look at the Hawks roster and starting lineup. Keep in mind this will look differently after free agency has been completed.
Hawks Roster & Projected Starting Lineup 2019-20
C: Alex Len, Deyonta Davis, Bruno Fernando
PF: John Collins, Omari Spellman, Chandler Parsons
SF: De’Andre Hunter, Evan Turner, DeAndre’ Bembry, Justin Anderson
SG: Cam Reddish, Kevin Huerter, Allen Crabbe
PG: Trae Young, Jaylen Adams
Parsons is coming off a subpar season where he averaged 7.5 points while shooting 30.9 from the three-point line. The Hawks are hoping Parsons reverts back to his prior form. The forward has failed to live up to his sizable contract, but the good news for the Hawks is he is entering the final year of his deal. Parsons will make 25.1 million next season before hitting free agency, per Spotrac.
The Hawks have not been active in free agency choosing instead to add through the draft. Atlanta has built a nice young core and could be major players in free agency in 2021. Parsons may have worn out his welcome in Memphis, but he fits the Hawks aggressive offense that is looking to put up as many three-point attempts as possible.
We saw this with Trae Young and Kevin Huerter during their rookie season. Atlanta is also hoping Reddish can add to this mantra, but it will depend on how quickly he develops. The addition of Hunter gives the Hawks some much-needed defense while also adding a big man who can knock down outside shots.
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