Indiana Pacers have talked with Atlanta Hawks about De'Andre Hunter trade, per multiple reports
A number of reports have connected the Indiana Pacers to a potential trade with the Atlanta Hawks surrounding forward De'Andre Hunter.
Hunter, 25, begins a new four-year, $95 million contract on July 1. He agreed to the deal last October just before the rookie scale extension deadline. The poison pill provision that makes it difficult to trade for the wing expires on Saturday.
The fourth overall pick in 2019 averaged 15.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game this past season while shooting 46.1% from the field. His defense is solid, Hunter uses his six-foot-eight-inch frame well on the less glamorous end of the court.
Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports was the first to report any Pacers interest in Hunter. Earlier this month, he shared that "Indiana explored trade scenarios for OG Anunoby and the concept of sending Chris Duarte plus draft capital to Atlanta for De’Andre Hunter during February's trade deadline."
A deal at the deadline would have been tricky due to the poison pill nature of Hunter's extension, but Indiana could have found a way to pull it off thanks to the salary cap room the team had prior to their trade deadline moves.
Still, that registered interest in February may still be present. Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files mentioned Hunter's name in a recent report as a trade option Indiana had interest in near the draft.
Hunter is young and talented, so it may be tricky for Atlanta to send him away. But the Hawks are an expensive team, and they will soon have to give raises to the likes of Onyeka Okongwu, Dejounte Murray, and Saddiq Bey. If Atlanta needs to keep their spending down, moving Hunter could be an option.
Because the Pacers could have upwards of $30 million in cap space this offseason, they could take in Hunter without sending back any matching salary. That may be appealing to the Hawks, and Indiana has extra draft capital to move if need be.
Financial motivations played a part in the Hawks recent decision to move John Collins to the Utah Jazz for little return. They freed up a ton of money going forward, which is needed for the 2021 Eastern Conference Finalists.
The Pacers have been searching for a wing throughout the offseason. There were reports before the draft that the team was considering trading draft picks to get a quality wing, and general manager Chad Buchanan confirmed after the NBA Draft that Indiana tried to trade for some established players.
"We were very, very aggressive pursuing a group of about five or six guys that would fit our timeline and fill a positional need. Unfortunately, those guys were not available," he said last Friday. The Pacers made four draft night selections.
Fischer reported that the Pacers and Hawks discussed a deal again just over a week ago involving Hunter. That was prior to the draft, though, so perhaps this is something that the organizations could circle back on. Teams and players can begin officially negotiating in free agency tomorrow at 6 p.m. Eastern Time. More activity can be expected then.
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- Indiana Pacers front office explains busy draft night, breaks down trades. CLICK HERE.
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