Hawks trade Kevin Huerter to Kings for Justin Holiday, Mo Harkless, first-round pick, per report
Fri, Jul 1, 2022
NBA News (AP)
The Atlanta Hawks aren't done making trades this summer. After acquiring All-Star guard Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs, the Hawks are now trading Kevin Huerter to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Justin Holiday, Maurice'Harkless and a future first-round draft pick, per Adrian Wojnarowski. The future draft pick is lottery protected in 2024, and it becomes top-12 protected in 2025 and top-10 protected in 2026.
This is a rather puzzling move on Atlanta's part, given how Huerter has consistently developed year to year with the Hawks. He fits whatever role Atlanta needs, whether that's starting or coming off the bench, and has been a consistent shooting option as a career 37.9 percent 3-point shooter. Huerter's four-year, $65 million deal that he signed in October 2021 kicks in this upcoming season, and by offloading him now the Hawks save some future cap space. In the return for Huerter, the Hawks are getting two expiring contracts in Holiday and Harkless. They'll make a combined $10.7 million next season before becoming unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2023.'
AP Sports
For the Kings, this is an impressive trade for a front office that has struggled to string together several quality decisions in what feels like forever. Sacramento desperately needs shooting depth, and it answered that in acquiring Huerter, on top of already signing Malik Monk, who shot 39.1 percent from deep last season. Pairing these two with De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis is a quality quartet of players for the Kings to have entering next season.'
