The Atlanta Hawks have no shortage of coaching decisions and player results to be frustrated with from the 2024-25 season. In a struggling Eastern Conference, the Hawks were handed two chances to get into the playoffs and failed. This was after the team had already punted on the season by dumping the salaries of De'Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanović. Hunter was enjoying the best season of his career, and the Hawks wanted to take advantage by shedding a regrettable deal.
Bogdan was sent to the Los Angeles Clippers after shooting 30% from three-point range and 37% overall. Free-throw shooting seemed to be the only piece of the scorer's game that wasn't facing major regression. Atlanta opting to dump the contract to the Clippers made sense and ridded the team of a piece that had been an impactful player prior to this year's struggles.
Bogdan Bogdanović Was One of the Hawks' Biggest Busts of the 2024-25 Atlanta Season
The scorer will be fondly remembered for his contributions to the team's surprise 2021 run to the Eastern Conference Finals. It was a needed shooting boost that gave the Hawks a much-needed sixth man. However, there is no denying the fact that compared to what Atlanta was paying the veteran, this season's results were a complete bust from the Hawks' perspective.
It didn't help matters that Bogdanović turned a corner after joining the Clippers. With a veteran core of James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Norman Powell, the guard was the perfect bench scoring option. The Clippers were a surprising playoff force, playing an incredibly competitive series with the Denver Nuggets.
For Atlanta, it was still the right decision that helped turn the page on a version of the team that was clearly broken. With Clint Capela set to hit free agency, the team is going to continue to find a much-needed reset. The organization's focus should be on finding a secondary scorer behind Trae Young and looking to find more athletic perimeter defenders.
Bogdanović's time in Atlanta might have ended in failure, however, the veteran scorer is an important part of recent franchise history — one that fans will remember fondly even after the undeniable frustrations of the 2024-25 season.