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NBA free agency has been chaotic so far. The Atlanta Hawks have been at the center in the early going, trading for Kristaps Porzingis. Now they make another huge addition, adding Nickeil Alexander-Walker on a four-year, $62 million deal.
Alexander-Walker, 26, has been a key rotation player for the Minnesota Timberwolves since his arrival. His excellent perimeter defense and timely shotmaking has been vital for them in back-to-back Western Conference Finals runs. Now he joins a Hawks team angling for a deep playoff run.
The sticker shock is real, but Alexander-Walker is worth this money. A little over $15 million annually for a proven playoff contributor who can play with multiple guards and wings. His defense works with any lineup, he can scale up or down offensively based on personnel around him, and is comfortable playing on and off the ball. His theoretical fit with Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Porzingis is excellent.
Atlanta will also be acquiring him in a sign-and-trade. They have a $25 million trade exception from the Dejounte Murray trade this past summer. Alexander-Walker takes up 60% of that exception while keeping them under the salary cap. The Hawks can still add more via trade exceptions and the mid-level exception. Atlanta isn’t done even after picking up Alexander-Walker.
