The Atlanta Hawks see you, Sacramento Kings and Orlando Magic. They see you trying to give them a run for the NBA’s worst record and, thus, the top draft-lottery odds. And they’re going to do something about it: start wheeling and dealing.
Guys like Luke Babbitt, Kent Bazemore and Ersan Ilyasova are all expected to be available leading into February’s trade deadline. And now, according to Give Me Sports’ Mark Deeks, we can add Dewayne Dedmon to the list:
GiveMeSport has learned that the Atlanta Hawks are trying to trade Dewayne Dedmon. While it appears to not have been reported prior, it nonetheless will (or should) come as no surprise to Hawks fans to know that. After all, why wouldn’t they be trying to trade him?
Few will be surprised by this. Dedmon was always pegged as a midseason trade candidate, from the moment he signed his two-year, $12.3 million deal in Atlanta. But a stress reaction in his left tibia kept him on the sidelines for an extended period time. He only recent returned, joining the ranks of many other Hawks expected to be on the chopping block.
Dedmon’s contract does hinder his trade value a bit. He has a $6.3 million player option for next season that many predict he’ll decline. And should he do that, his next team won’t have Bird rights, so it’ll take actual cap space to re-sign him. That diminishes Atlanta’s chances of securing a first-round pick for his services.
At the same time, Dedmon is a difference-maker. He sets quality screens, finishes well out of the pick-and-roll, is a sneaky switcher on the defensive end and has showcased some range on his jump shot. He’s also a sound defensive rebounder—someone who might be worth a low-end first-round pick or prospect to teams like the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks.
