Re-drafting the 2019 NBA Draft — 4. De’Andre Hunter, Atlanta Hawks
A meniscus injury held De’Andre Hunter out of the Hawks’ postseason run, but beforehand, he looked the part of a legitimate No. 3 or 4 scorer in Atlanta’s sprawling offense. The sophomore averaged 15.0 points and 4.8 rebounds for the season, cementing his status as a premier wing defender while bottoming 48.4 percent of his field goal attempts.
The Hawks have done an excellent job building the roster out around Trae Young. Every piece works in harmony. There’s very little harmful skill overlap, and very rarely do shortcomings prevent the core players from sharing the floor. Hunter is the perfect tertiary option on the perimeter, playing effortlessly off of Young while still giving the Hawks some juice off the dribble when called upon.
Atlanta has no reason to tamper with the carefully crafted chemistry of its roster. There’s an argument for R.J. Barrett, P.J. Washington, or even Keldon Johnson, but Hunter has produced on the same level as each of them, with comparable two-way potential and a clearer fit in Atlanta’s offensive hierarchy.