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Hawks to acquire Delon Wright as part of three-team trade with Celtics, Kings

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Atlanta has filled out their guard depth with the acquisition of Delon Wright and the selection of Sharife Cooper yesterday evening. Cooper isn’t likely to log significant minutes early, so Wright, a quality NBA rotation guard, will be of great value to the club when Young is off the floor.

Wright is a veteran guard, who should slot directly into the backup point guard role behind Trae Young. Wright averaged 10 points, 3.6 assists and 3.9 rebounds between stops with the Kings and Detroit Pistons last season. He’s a solid shooter (37.2 3PT % last season) and defender, and should represent an upgrade over the likes of Rajon Rondo, Brandon Goodwin and Lou Williams that the Hawks deployed at various points last season.

Jamaaliver wrote:I'm curious, do you guys think the additions of Cooper and Wright mean Lou Williams isn't coming back?

After a couple of feel-out games following his acquisition from Detroit, Wright averaged almost 11 points, four rebounds and four assists per game while shooting 47 percent from the field and 41 percent from 3. He’s not going to blow the doors off of the place or anything, but he’s a solid backcourt player who I’ve always thought wouldn’t look out of place in a playoff rotation. Simply put, he’s just kind of an all-around player.

The key with rotation players for contenders is having guys that you can bring off the bench who don’t take anything off the table. Or at least as little off the table as possible. Wright is that guy. He can dribble and pass at a reasonable level as a secondary creator. He’s turned into a steady shooter, having hit 37 percent from 3 over his last two seasons. Defensively, he’s solid and big enough to guard multiple different player types at 6-foot-5. He’s a legitimate role player, and only has one year left at $8.6 million.

Jamaaliver wrote:Delon's obviously the primary backup this season. But Cooper seems like an inevitable fit for that role.

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NotMyKawhi wrote:

Jamaaliver wrote:Delon's obviously the primary backup this season. But Cooper seems like an inevitable fit for that role.

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Steal of the draft! you guys will have 2 of the best offensive PGs in the L for years to come.

Delon Wright could be the Hawks’ answer at backup point guard



Since Young has been in Atlanta, the backup point guard position has been a spot on the roster that has lacked consistency. Of course when you have a player like Young, the backup guard shouldn’t be too big of a worry, but those 15-18 minutes when he’s not on floor can make or break the team.

Wright has been a serviceable and ascending player in his career as a backup point guard, and was starting for the Detroit Pistons last season before being traded to the Kings. He posted his best averages in his career with 10.4 points, 4.4 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game.

Though Wright has been quite the journeyman in his six years in the league (Wright has been traded to five different teams), this stop to Atlanta may be his most important, and he may be on the list as one of the best backup point guards the Hawks have had in previous seasons.

There’s no better way to break down what Wright brings to the the team than to look at some clips from his games against the Hawks last season.

At 6’5, Wright is already not your typical sized point guard, which means he can take advantage of smaller guards on offense and defense.

Wright has nice acceleration on his drives, which helps him get past defenders bigger than him. Most of Wright’s shots last season came in the paint, as he shot 58.3% from less than 5 ft.

Wright’s defense is something that will be beneficial for the Hawks, especially at the guard spot. With his height, he’s able to recover on the play even if he’s trailing. Wright is notably known on defense for his steals, where he ranked top-10 in the league last season with 1.6 per game. Kevin Huerter led the Hawks in steals last season with clogging the passing lanes, and Cam Reddish is good at doing the same thing.

It’s beneficial for the Hawks to have a backup that can collapse the paint and either score or make a play for a teammate, which means the offense should stay the same when Young is off the floor. Wright has shown his ability to navigate through screens and make the right decision. He may not hit the floater at the same rate as Young, but he shows that he has the trick in his arsenal.

There were times during the season when Nate McMillan would insert Trae Young and Lou Williams in the lineup together to give the Hawks more scoring on the floor, and two players that can control the offense. Defensively, you have two undersized guards on the floor, which may not be a good recipe depending on the matchup.

Wright is not the instant offense that Williams has the reputation for, but if you need size and an exceptional scorer next to Young, playing them together could be an option at times. Of course, the Hawks have shown the ability to have multiple ball handlers on the floor and have success, but adding another option should make things sweeter for them.

Something that can be in question heading into the season is who will lead the second unit between Wright and Williams. Williams could possibly have the edge since he’s been in the offense a year longer, but Wright could offer more versatility at the spot. There’s also a chance that both of them will see the court at the same time, so it might not be much of a problem.

With an emphasis on trying to find depth at the guard position, Wright’s skillset should prove to be an upgrade on this Hawks team.

Versatility of Delon Wright improves Hawks backcourt depth



Wright is a 29-year-old combo guard having spent six seasons in the NBA playing for five teams. He has started only 62 of his 334 career games. He has nice size (6’5, 185 lbs) for a guard that can play on or off the ball. He’s a reliable if not dynamic perimeter shooter, 37.1% on from the three-point line over his last two seasons. And he is a solid secondary creator.

Also an important aspect of his acquisition is that he isn’t good enough and doesn’t have enough equity in the league to push him ahead of players like Huerter, Bogdanovic and (potentially) Reddish in the rotation. But the things he does well offers value in both a regular season and postseason context.

He is a reasonably efficient scorer in the pick and roll (50th percentile last season). Importantly, he relies on an ability to get downhill towards the rim to produce points, similarly to how Young and Huerter attacked opposing defenses in the playoffs. He’s not a reliable pull up shooter. rather he uses his length to finish at the rim (64.5% last season).

When potentially playing off of the ball with Atlanta’s stronger creators he offers value as a spot up shooter. Wright connected on 43.8% of catch-and-shoot threes last season. Further, his ability to put the ball on the floor and finish in traffic works is useful against team that prioritize closing out on perimeter shooters, a combination that is at a premium in the postseason.

Ball security was an area of play that was heavily determinant for Atlanta in terms of postseason success. Wright brings a very secure handle into the mix for the Hawks. He regularly posts one of the better assist-to-turnover ratios in the league by way of keeping it simple and not trying to do more than that which he is capable. He’s not flashy, rather consistently making the right play within the offensive rhythm of the team.

Defensively, he’s not a stopper by any stretch. But he’s competent whether he is defending on the ball or off of it. Similar to how he performs as a ball handler, there is nothing flashy but he’s sound and reliable as a team defender consistently being in the right spot, helping teammates,

Wright also contributes as a rebounder, in fact bringing a track record of being one of the better rebounding guards in the league. This could be a key if the Hawks use heavy lineups of John Collins or Danilo Gallinari at center while Onyeka Okongwu is recovering from injury. Those lineups offer a lot offensively by tend to struggle, at times, on the defensive glass.

When thinking beyond this season, Wright could offer a bit of insurance in case Kevin Huerter and the team can’t reach an agreement before next season starts.

With the Hawks being in range to start bumping up against the salary tax already this season, there is no guarantee that Huerter will fit in the way they’d like on the cap sheet beyond this season. If, for some reason, they have to move on from him, Wright would help offset a decent bit of the impact.

Wright is on an expiring $8.5 million contract this season but Atlanta will hold his full bird rights next summer and they wouldn’t need to create cap space as to retain him.

To have added a player of Wright’s experience and skill without having to move on from a rotation player from the previous season is a win for the organization.

Sharife Cooper shows poise and patience through preseason



The Hawks roster is already loaded with depth, so unless an injury occurs, some of their youngest talent will spend time in College Park continuing to develop with the Skyhawks.

There were some bright spots throughout the preseason with the rookies, especially from rookie guard Sharife Cooper.

Cooper showed through the four games (and Summer League) that his poise and control of the game is far ahead of many players his age. His playmaking is his biggest strength, and his ability to get into the lane is a close second. Cooper’s way to find teammates on the floor sticks out more than anything. The awareness and court vision he has on the court shows similar signs of Trae Young, and it looks like it can throw his teammates off if they’re not expecting the pass.

On this play, Cooper is already going to grab the rebound in the event the Kevin Huerter misses:

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He does indeed miss, and with nobody boxing out Cooper, he goes up for the rebound. Instead of tipping it back in himself, he tips it to Gorgui Dieng once he realizes Evan Mobley isn’t focused on him. This is nice awareness from Cooper, and plays like this show how good his IQ is when on the floor.

Here’s another play where Cooper’s playmaking is displayed. After coming off a double drag screen, the seconder defender shows and tries to hedge Cooper. Cooper takes his time, spins away from the defender, and shows a quick shot fake:

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That sequence did two things: for one, it made the defender that was switched on Jahlil Okafor leave him, and two, it made him leave his feet after the pump fake. Cooper then slips a bounce pass to Okafor and he gets an easy dunk at the rim.

Cooper’s best performance this preseason was against the Grizzlies, where he took over in the fourth quarter and led the Hawks to a win. He did a little of everything, but it was ability to take defenders off the dribble couldn’t go unnoticed.

Cooper sizes up the defender on this play with a quick between-the-legs dribble. Once the defender changes his defensive stance, Cooper does the same move, and drives straight to the rim. He throws up what looks like a difficult floater and drops it in:

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One thing in Cooper’s game that many weren't high on was his jumpshot, but he showed a somewhat consistent stroke in four games. Cooper mentioned during media day that Hawks assistant coach Nick Van Exel has been helping him get an “arch” in his shot.

On what was the game-icing shot, Cooper pump fakes, gets his feet set, and drills the three-pointer:

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The guard position is deep for the Hawks, with Delon Wright and Lou Williams being options behind Young. Though Cooper showed some positive signs through the preseason, he still does not have the years and experience that Wright and Williams have.

With Cooper signing a two-way contract for the Hawks, he’ll be eligible to spend no more than 50 games with the Hawks. The Skyhawks will give him an opportunity to play more and grow his game. From what we saw from Cooper in Summer League and preseason, things are looking up for the young guard.

Grading Every NBA Team's Top Offseason Pickup After 1 Week

Atlanta Hawks: Delon Wright



Grade: C+

The Hawks targeted Delon Wright this season to avoid the pitfalls they previously encountered when Trae Young needed a breather.

It's been a mixed bag on that front so far. Overall, Atlanta has fared better with Wright than Young (by a huge margin), but that's only because the Hawks' reserves have suffocated other second units. Offensively, there's still a major difference when this attack has Young (110.4 points per 100 possessions) and when Wright is behind the wheel (100.0).

Still, Wright has been as advertised as a defender, active on the glass and generous with his ball distribution. It's a net-positive addition, but it'd help if he was more of a scoring threat (3.3 points per game on 37.5 percent shooting).

Backup point guard was thought to be a strength as the season began, but it hasn’t turned out that way. Though Delon Wright has shown an ability to do the little things on the floor, his lack of offense and creation causes the second unit to collapse. Lou Williams isn’t the answer, either. The Hawks should seriously consider giving second-round pick Sharife Cooper minutes because he can create and can operate in a similar offense that the Hawks have with Young on the floor. I’m not saying Cooper is as gifted as Young, but at least Cooper can create for others with his passing ability. That’s missing on the second unit. I’m not sure if Cooper will get any minutes, though. There’s been zero indication from coach Nate McMillan that Cooper is anywhere close to being a rotational player. At some point, though, you just have to realize that doing the same thing over and over isn’t likely to deliver different results.