The Atlanta Hawks will acquire Nickeil Alexander-Walker from the Minnesota Timberwolves via sign-and-trade. The Wolves will receive a 2027 second-round pick and cash. ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report.
Atlanta has acquired the biggest fish in the unrestricted free agent guard pool and continues an excellent offseason.
Coupled with the addition of Kristaps Porzingis and Asa Newell on Draft day, the Hawks look set to compete for a playoff spot or perhaps even home-court advantage out East.
In the case of Minnesota, this is a blow to its guard depth. Alexander-Walker had found a niche with the Wolves as a 3-and-D bench guard, even defending Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during the Western Conference Finals.
Alexander-Walker has a solid combination of length and quickness, and made at least 38 percent of his threes the last three seasons.
He’s durable, too, having played all 82 games in each of the past two seasons. Trae Young is said to have played a big part in the recruitment of Alexander-Walker.
Hawks Making Splashes But Face Fun Dilemmas
Atlanta has made itself a deep team in a hurry. Its guard depth includes Young, Dyson Daniels, Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard and Kobe Bufkin.
At forward, there’s Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher and Vit Krejci. Kristaps Porzingis, Onyeka Okongwu and Asa Newell are the bigs.
What will be interesting to see is how head coach Quin Snyder goes about setting the rotation.
Young, Daniels, Porzingis and Johnson figure to be automatic starters. Do you go big with Okongwu or downsize with Alexander-Walker or Risacher?
If Snyder elects to go big, there could be some challenges against quicker forwards, as Johnson can’t guard two players at once. As we’ve seen in recent times, Porzingis has also thrived when operating as the lone big.
Alexander-Walker might be too valuable as a backup guard to toss into starter minutes. This roster is also guard-heavy, so it might be easier to distribute minutes with an additional guard in the starting group.
There might be lineups against which Risacher makes the most sense. Perhaps, this is a team which might genuinely have a situational starting five based on the opposition.
There’s options, of that there is no doubt.
Wolves Will Have To Bank On Youth
The departure of Alexander-Walker certainly opens opportunity for Terrence Shannon Jr. and Rob Dillingham.
Expectations of Donte DiVincenzo will naturally grow.
Minnesota took care of its most important business, re-signing Naz Reid and Julius Randle. The exit of Alexander-Walker thereafter seemed likely.
In a Western Conference that has seen both the Rockets and Nuggets upgrade, one has to believe this departure knocks the Wolves down a peg.
