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The Atlanta Hawks roster is rounding into shape for the 2017-2018 NBA season, especially in the wake of the team’s reported investment in center Dewayne Dedmon. There are still roster spots to fill, though, and the Hawks have now been linked to an intriguing free agent in the form of Shabazz Muhammad.
Free agent forward Shabazz Muhammad is receiving interest from the Hawks, Nets, Bucks and Knicks, a source says.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) July 13, 2017
Muhammad will turn 25 years old in November and his best position, at least offensively, is as a small-ball power forward. The fourth-year player posted a career-best 57 percent true shooting last season and, if nothing else, Muhammad would be on the timeline for Atlanta from an age perspective.
With that said, Muhammad is a defensive liability that almost certainly profiles as a bench role player in the future. The Hawks undeniably need another power forward option but, given his limitations, Muhammad would be a challenging fit in some ways.
Still, Travis Schlenk has stuck to his guns with regard to acquiring reasonable contracts for both Dedmon and Mike Muscala and the Hawks could be bargain hunting here. Stay tuned.