BREAKING: Atlanta Hawks Acquire David Roddy From Phoenix Suns In Exchange for EJ Liddell

Atlanta and Phoenix swap bench forwards who both played in Summer League

Oct 12, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward David Roddy (21) grabs a rebound past Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) in the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Hawks have sent forward EJ Liddell to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for forward David Roddy in what appears to be a rare player-for-player swap.

The Phoenix Suns are trading forward David Roddy to the Atlanta Hawks for forward EJ Liddell, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/KqPJve6J2n

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 26, 2024

This is actually not the second player-for-player swap of the offseason - the Oklahoma City Thunder sent Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Alex Caruso. While this move is not of the same magnitude, it is certainly interesting for two reasons.

First, it puts an end to any possibility of Liddell operating as a Paul Millsap-esque forward during his time in Atlanta. The former Ohio State standout was acquired from New Orleans as part of the Dejounte Murray trade. He played sparingly for the Pelicans and got extended minutes this summer with the Hawks' Summer League squad. While he lacked the consistency of some of the other players on said team, he played very well against the San Antonio Spurs in the Hawks' second game of the tournament. The write-up from his Spurs game can be found below:

"Liddell followed up a quiet game against Washington with a fantastic one against the Spurs. He dropped 22 points on 43% shooting from the field and an game-high 10 free throw attempts, as well as two threes. Liddell used every bit of his 6'6, 240-pound frame to bully defenders. After his recovery from an ACL injury that wiped out his rookie year, it looks like Liddell is getting back to the player that he was at Ohio State."

"Saddiq Bey gave the Hawks good minutes last year and Liddell could certainly step into that role next season. Between Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, De'Andre Hunter, Vit Krejci and Garrison Mathews, the Hawks actually have a fairly solid collection of wing talent. However, the physicality that Liddell would bring isn't readily replicated in a backup role. It also helps that he's a credible three-point shooter. If he can continue some of this production against Los Angeles, he will be a very strong candidate for a two-way deal. At the very least, it would make sense to give him a heavy workload in College Park as he continues to develop."

Instead of giving Liddell the chance to hone his game in College Park, it looks like Atlanta has decided to take a swing on Roddy. Roddy, a former first-round draft pick of the Philadelphia 76ers, was traded to Memphis on draft night for guard De'Anthony Melton. At Colorado State, he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists a game as one of the best players in the Mountain West Conference in his junior year.

As a rookie, he played 70 games for Memphis, averaging 6.7 points and 2.8 rebounds. Halfway through his second season, Roddy was traded to Phoenix and received very little playing time for the Suns as a bench wing. He got some run in Summer League for Phoenix and had a solid tournament. His three-point shooting percentage of 36.7% definitely stood out and his play improved after a rough first game. He stood out in the Summer League matchup between the Thunder and Suns, where he dropped 21 points, six rebounds and five assists while going 7-13 from the field and 4-8 from three-point range. There's potential for him to develop into a bench wing for the Hawks since he could develop an NBA-caliber three-point shot. His size (6'4, 255 lbs) would also be helpful for Atlanta.

Although his time with the Hawks was short, we wish EJ nothing but the best in Phoenix.