Wesley Johnson: Atlanta Hawks Targeting Lakers Free Agent?

Last season, the Atlanta Hawks were consistently in need of wing depth following an injury to key reserve Thabo Sefolosha during an altercation with the NYPD in March.

Now after the loss of DeMarre Carroll to the Toronto Raptors during the NBA Free Agency period, it is now more imperative than ever that the Atlanta Hawks are able to find an affordable and effective option to replace some of Carroll’s production at the small forward position.

It is now being reported the Atlanta Hawks may in fact be linked to a Free Agent SF, one who will be affordable to sign and production compares favorably to that of Carroll’s last season — Lakers SF Wesley Johnson.

Real GM’s Shams Charania has reported the Atlanta Hawks interest in the Free Agent and that the only hold-up in a potential agreement between the two parties is that Johnson is waiting for the right deal.

Aside from L.A. teams, Atlanta is a strong candidate for free agent Wesley Johnson, league sources tell RealGM. He's awaiting right deal.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 4, 2015

To fans who may not know much about Wesley Johnson, he averaged 9.9 PPG, 1.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game last season on a dismal Los Angeles Lakers team. DeMarre Carroll possessed similar numbers last season, averaging 12.6 points PPG, 1.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game in 2015.

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If acquired by the Atlanta Hawks, Wesley Johnson could follow a similar path to DeMarre Carroll, and could thrive in the Hawks motion offense. During his time in Los Angeles, Johnson did not have the opportunity to play with an All-Star Point Guard like Jeff Teague, or two All-Star big men such as Paul Millsap and Al Horford who have the potential to take his play to the next level.

Already possessing a solid stat line, Johnson could become a key part of the Hawks offense. He shot 35 percent from beyond the arc last season, and made 41 percent of his field goals attempted. His athleticism and ability to stretch the floor would fit into the Atlanta Hawks offense nicely from the onset. The only knock on his game early into his career is on defense, but could easily be improved if he entered the right system.

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