The Hawks can breathe a sigh of relief regarding the newest player on their roster.
Saddiq Bey soon will be able to join team activities, including shootaround ahead of Monday’s game at the Hornets. The Warriors decided to go through with their part of a four-team trade despite the fact that Gary Payton failed a physical. The Warriors had until Sunday night to decide whether to complete the trade. The Warriors, according to several reports, made the decision earlier in the day.
Hours later, the Hawks officially announced that the trade was complete around 9:50 p.m.
The Hawks traded five second-round picks to the Warriors for Bey ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. The move was a part of a four-team trade that included the Warriors sending James Wiseman to the Pistons and acquiring Bey. The Pistons also sent Kevin Knox to the Trail Blazers, while the Warriors sent picks to Portland for Payton.
The Warriors ruled Payton failed a physical after discovering that he could miss up to three months with a core muscle issue, according to The Athletic. They also registered a complaint to the NBA against the Trail Blazers and the league will now investigate the trade.
Golden State had until Sunday at 9:30 p.m. to make a decision, which left players involved in the deal in limbo. Bey sat out the Hawks’ 125-106 win over the Spurs on Saturday but was present on the bench in street clothes.
Following the game, Hawks coach Nate McMillan said that the team and coaches still went over things with Bey until the trade was approved.
“It is,” McMillan said when asked of the awkward situation Saturday. “He’s in the locker room. So, we’re talking to him. We just can’t put him out on the floor until Golden State makes a decision on what they’re going to do. We can’t put him in uniform. We can’t run him out on the floor tomorrow (at practice). A couple of the other guys will be out there shooting, but he can’t do anything until that’s approved.”
Both McMillan and Hawks general manager Landry Fields shared how they thought Bey could benefit the rotation following the initial reports of the trade on Thursday. They pointed to the 23-year-old forward’s ability to play both as a forward positions, and space the floor.
As a career 36% shooter from 3-point range, Bey has endured some streakiness throughout his first three seasons. But Fields is confident that he can find his footing in a new environment.
Bey made 38% of his 3-point shots in his rookie season and is a career 84.3% free-throw shooter. He has played in 97% of the games (204 of 209) over the past three seasons and prides himself on his availability for each game.
In addition to Bey, the Hawks also acquired Bruno Fernando and Garrison Mathews from the Rockets in a separate trade deadline deal.
The Hawks will face the Hornets on Monday in Charlotte, where Bey was born and his mother, Drewana Bey played college basketball. He could make his debut in a Hawks uniform after the team ruled both Bogdan Bogdanovic (right hip soreness) and John Collins (left hip flexor soreness) as questionable. Trae Young (left shoulder soreness) is probable.
