The NBA saw its second trade in less than 24 hours on Sunday. This time, the Atlanta Hawks and the Portland Trail Blazers struck a deal.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Hawks are trading the guard Vit Krejci to the Blazers in exchange for Duop Reath and two second-round picks.
The Blazers picked up a 25-year-old productive guard from the Czech Republic. He entered the NBA as a 2020 second-round pick, drafted by the Washington Wizards. He came over to the league to start playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2021. The Hawks traded for Krejci initially in 2022. Later that year, he was waived.
In 2023, Krejci re-signed with the Hawks and has stuck with the team since. Last year, he appeared in 57 games for Atlanta, averaging 7.2 points per game, while shooting 43 percent from three.
So far this season, Krejci has appeared in 46 games. He was averaging a career-high 9.0 points, shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc.
The Effects of the Trae Young Trade
Earlier this season, the Hawks dealt away one of their most prominent players in Trae Young. The multi-time All-Star ended up packaged in a deal, getting sent to the Washington Wizards.
In return for Young, the Hawks brought in the veteran guards CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.
Since the arrival of Kispert, Krejci has essentially lost his full-time role with the Hawks. That led the Hawks down a path to make a change.
More NBA:Bulls Cut Ties With $19 Million Guard After 3-Team Trade
Kispert has appeared in 11 games for the Hawks, seeing the court for 19.5 minutes per game. He is producing 9.6 points per game, while shooting 44 percent from three.
The Hawks picked up Duop Reath, who is currently nursing an injury. Reath is not expected to return to the court this season. It’s unclear what the future holds for the 29-year-old, but there is a chance the Hawks could end up making a follow-up move.
Newsweek