DeAndre Hunter emerging as a future 6MOY?

[Jamaaliver]

Toughest Offseason Decision for Every NBA Team

Extending De'Andre Hunter



The Atlanta Hawks remain on the hunt for a co-star to pair with Trae Young. De'Andre Hunter, the No. 4 pick of the 2019 draft, was presumably intended to be that player, but three years into his career, it looks like he could top out between good and very good—not great.

He's a long, lanky defender who holds his own in most matchups, but he's not the type of shutdown stopper who can engulf the flames of the Association's most fiery scorers. He's a solid support scorer and outside shooter, but again, not a needle-mover in either role (career 13.2 points per game and 35.9 percent three-point shooting). Shot-creation is not a part of his arsenal, and there's no reason to believe it ever will be.

He is helpful to have but not a cornerstone talent. That style of player is never easy to price in contract negotiations, and when Atlanta sits down to discuss an extension this summer, it won't have a complete picture of his game since injuries robbed him of 78 games over this season and last.

Keeping him at the right cost would be theoretically fine, but only if that figure was more obvious. Delaying his new deal until next summer could prove pricey if the light switch flips in his fourth go-round. The Hawks—as prime a candidate as any to broker a consolidation blockbuster—could also include Hunter in a trade package for a star.

Bleacher Report

[atlantabbq99]

Hunter has been a disappointment to me. I liked him in college and supported drafting him, but while he's been injured often, he hasn't shown me much when he's healthy.

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At least he is not Jarrett Culver ...

[Jamaaliver]

Buying or Selling 2022 NBA Playoff's Breakout Stars

De'Andre Hunter, F, Atlanta Hawks

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Regular Season Stats Per Game: 13.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals, 44.2/37.9/76.5 shooting splits

Postseason Stats Per Game: 21.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.8 steals, 55.7/46.2/80.0 shooting splits

The only player on this list who failed to make it out of the first round, Hunter's performance against the Miami Heat still deserves some recognition.

With Miami hounding Trae Young on every possession (which resulted in an average of 15.4 points on 31.9 percent shooting for the series), Atlanta desperately needed someone else to step up offensively, a challenge that only Hunter answered.

Having averaged just 10.8 points in his first postseason run a year ago, Hunter more than doubled his scoring average this time around, hitting jump shots and spot-up threes with regularity.

After connecting on 38.2 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes during the regular season, Hunter drilled 47.6 percent of his assisted attempts against the Heat. He also ranked in the 93.8th percentile in isolation scoring this postseason, registering 1.27 points per possession on 58.3 percent shooting.

This is a terrific sign for an Atlanta team in need of star power around Young. Hunter has shown flashes during his three seasons, but injuries have always seemed to derail any type of momentum he's begun to accumulate. While he's not a playmaker by any means, the 24-year-old has the tools to develop into a high-level three-and-D wing.

The Hawks should try to lock Hunter into a team-friendly extension this offseason while they can, citing his injury history as a reason to keep his average annual value around $20 million or less.

While it was a small sample size, Hunter looked good when healthy against one of the league's toughest defenses, including a 35-point, 11-rebound performance in Game 5. The No. 4 overall pick in 2019, injuries are the only thing holding Hunter back.

Buy or Sell: Buy Hunter's playoff success as a preview of next season, if he can stay healthy.

Bleacher Report

[D21]

Regular Season Stats Per Game: 13.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals, 44.2/37.9/76.5 shooting splits

Postseason Stats Per Game: 21.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.8 steals, 55.7/46.2/80.0 shooting splits

And the worst +/- of the team... so his playoffs performance doesn't mean anything

[HMFFL]

Injury prone and he hasn't lived up to expectations. I can only hope for a healthy breakout season from him next season. Teams will attempt to trade for him since his value is low.

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[Jamaaliver]

Players with the most to prove in 2022-23

Atlanta Hawks: De’Andre Hunter



The 2019 NBA Draft was expected to form a significant part of the Hawks’ core, with two top-10 picks, but it hasn’t worked out that way. Cam Reddish was a bust at 10th overall and traded to the Knicks. De’Andre Hunter was taken fourth overall after the Hawks moved up four spots in a trade with the Pelicans, but he hasn’t fulfilled his promise. He generally has been solid defensively, but he has missed 78 games with injuries the last two seasons. He’s been inconsistent offensively, and at times even a liability. Hunter is only 24 years old, so the Hawks don’t want to give up on him, especially given they parted with assets to get him. But he’s entering the final year of his rookie contract, and the two sides don’t appear close to a deal. The Hawks need to see significant progress.

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[Jamaaliver]

Re-Drafting the 2019 NBA Draft

13. De'Andre Hunter (Originally Picked 4th)

A lot of the wings and forwards you'll see from here on out lag way behind those already detailed in most advanced stats, but they get a bit of a pass due to their higher workloads.

Take De'Andre Hunter, for example. His career box plus/minus is well below average, but he's asked to do more than a lot of others in this class, particularly on defense. He spends significantly more time matched up against starting-caliber players, too.

Hunter's minuscule rebound, assist, steal and block rates are concerning, but his 13.2 points per game and career 35.9 three-point percentage as a full-time starter is encouraging.

He can add the less glamorous stuff as he continues to develop. Scoring and being trusted to defend opponents' No. 1 options is nothing to sneeze at.

Bleacher Report

[jayu70]

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[Jamaaliver]

Extension Candidate: De’Andre Hunter

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The No. 4 overall pick of the 2019 draft after two college seasons at Virginia, De’Andre Hunter had a prominent role as a rookie for the Hawks, but his results were a little uneven, which is normal for first-year players. Hunter clearly worked hard on his game entering year two, as he got off to a great start, averaging 17.9 PPG and 5.6 RPG on a stellar .517/.375/.877 (.646 true) shooting line in 17 games (33.3 MPG). Unfortunately, things went downhill from there.

Last season, Hunter had a slow start, not quite looking like himself after a meniscus tear. Overall, he averaged 13.4 PPG and 3.3 RPG on .442/.379/.765 shooting (.547 true) in 53 games (29.8 MPG). The Hawks were very banged up at the end of the year, causing them to be overmatched in their first-round playoff loss to the Heat, but Hunter was the team’s best postseason performer – averaging 21.2 PPG and 3.8 RPG on .557/.462/.800 shooting (.674 TS%).

Strengths
Hunter has plus size for a forward at 6’8″ and 225 pounds with a 7’2″ wingspan, and he’s versatile on both ends of the court. He’s often tasked with guarding the opposing teams’ best perimeter scorers, as Atlanta has lacked reliable wing defenders.

The 24-year-old was a high draft choice in large part due to his defensive upside, and while he shows flashes of being a plus defender, he lacks the consistency necessary to be a true defensive force. The talent is definitely there though, and that’s something you can’t teach.

Hunter gets to the free throw line at a good rate, can score in a variety of ways, and was an above-average three-point shooter in ‘21/22 (37.9%). Nearly all of his attempts from long distance came via catch-and-shoot, and he converted a career-best 40.5% from the corners.

Improvement Areas
Consistency is the name of the game for Hunter. He has shown flashes of high-level two-way potential, but he hasn’t been able to string it together consistently for any sustained period of time.

Losing time to injuries is out of his control, but it has certainly had an effect on his performance the past couple of years. In order to land a big pay day, he needs to prove that he can stay healthy.

Hunter is a below-average rebounder, and there’s no reason he can’t be better at his size. An average of 3.3 boards per game is unacceptably low for a forward. Even though he’s a versatile scorer, he only shot 55% at the rim last season — 23rd percentile of all players, per DunksAndThrees.com.

He’s also a poor play-maker, recording more turnovers (69) than assists (68) in ‘21/22. Hunter’s 6% assist percentage was only in the 12th percentile. There’s a lot of room for improvement there.

Conclusion
Out of all the players eligible for rookie scale extensions in 2022, Hunter’s market value is one of the most difficult to gauge due to his injury history and inconsistent play. He definitely has a lot to prove in the upcoming season, both for his own future and to the Hawks.

Sources told Jake Fisher of Bleacher Report in July that the Hawks and Hunter’s agents were approximately $20MM apart in their extension discussions. Making an educated guess, I would wager Atlanta was offering around $60MM – perhaps with additional incentives tied to games played – and Hunter was looking for around $80MM.

Hunter could easily outplay a $15MM-per-year contract, but he hasn’t shown he’s worth even that much yet. Analytics are really low on Hunter’s game – I’m more bullish on his potential, assuming he can stay healthy.

I don’t see any reason for the Hawks to budge in what they’re willing to offer, and given his injury history, there are valid reasons for Hunter to consider signing a relatively team-friendly deal. If he turns down an extension and has a breakout fourth season, that’s a good problem to have for Atlanta, because he’d be providing excess value on the final year of his rookie deal and would make it an easier decision to invest in him long term.

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I believe so too.

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[raleigh]

The juxtaposition of "money doesn't matter, so give him a ton" with "he's more likely to dribble off his foot than complete a pass" is jarring.

An extension for Hunter will be a gamble. Usually these things get done if certain intangibles are there, but, again, this is a mixed bag: limited upside & injury issues vs. good size & team-first attitude.

They waited on JC, who had proven more than Hunter has at this stage. I think they'll end up waiting on Hunter, too.

[jayu70]

If we get this guy, healthy and consistent all year, oh boy.
The pace at which he's making his moves is night and day different from last season. Quick and decisive

https://www.nba.com/stats/events?CFID=&CFPARAMS=&ContextMeasure=FGA&EndPeriod=0&EndRange=28800&GameID=0012200036&PlayerID=1629631&RangeType=0&Season=2022-23&SeasonType=Pre%20Season&StartPeriod=0&StartRange=0&TeamID=1610612737&flag=3&sct=plot&section=game

[Jamaaliver]

Last-Minute NBA Rookie Scale Extension Predictions

De'Andre Hunter Primed for a Payday



The Miami Heat ended the Atlanta Hawks' playoff run in the first round, but De'Andre Hunter (No. 4) went off in the final game for 35 points and 11 rebounds. He's the prototype three-and-D forward teams value highly, though the more significant concern for Hunter is durability, as he's missed considerable time over the past couple of seasons.

"He still has upside," a competing executive said. "Four years, $80 million would be solid, gambling on health and upside."

It's unclear where the Hawks stand near the extension deadline, but with the salary cap projected to climb almost 8.5 percent (some expect it to reach 10 percent), high-level players are looking for that rise to be baked into their deals. If Hunter is worth an $18 million starting salary under the current $123.7 million salary cap, he may expect that same percentage of the cap based on a $134 million projection for 2023-24 for a $19.5 million starting salary.

This one can go either way, but after a down season, the Hawks err on the side of caution and wait.

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

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[atlantabbq99]

The biggest thing i noticed from the season opener with the Rockets is that Hunter looked like a totally different play and seemed way more confident. He looked like a high IQ vet with alot of confidence and borderline all star.

Hunter last night reminded me of Teague and Millsap in there second year with Budz where they just knew what to do, what spots to get to and seemed to make all the right plays all game long.

[Jamaaliver]

The Biggest Question Facing Every Team In The Southeast Division

Atlanta Hawks: Who is De’Andre Hunter going to be?



Even before De’Andre Hunter signed a four-year extension just before the rookie-scale extension deadline on Monday, there was pressure on the former No. 4 overall pick. Hunter is not the best player, or even in the top three or four players, on Atlanta’s roster, but the Hawks have been highly invested in his future from the moment they traded a large haul to select him in the 2019 NBA Draft. Hunter showed all kinds of signs in his second season, but injuries limited him to only 23 games, and the former Virginia star took a step back in performance in 2021-22.

Hunter doesn’t have to be a star for the Hawks and, realistically, that isn’t a probable outcome at this juncture. What he does need to be is a solid, available, two-way role player for an Atlanta team that has sky-high aspirations. The Hawks can’t replace him, which is likely part of why an extension happened, and Hunter might be the single biggest X-factor between Atlanta returning to the Play-In or being in contention for a top-four seed.

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[Jamaaliver]

Hunter D putting in work:

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