The Atlanta Hawks have been working through some turbulence this season.
Nate McMillan, in his third season as the Hawks' head coach, reportedly is considering resigning, and trade rumors are starting to swirl around superstar guard Trae Young. The team's 2021 Eastern Conference finals appearance feels more distant by the day.
To add fuel to the fire, ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins went after the Hawks' front office Friday night for trading away sharpshooter Kevin Huerter after he dropped a career-high 30 points against the Jazz.
"The Hawks front office got some explaining to do," Perkins tweeted. "I don’t know how in the hell they traded Kevin Huerter! I guess they didn’t realize how important having a sniper is."
The Kings sent Justin Holiday, Maurice Harkless and a protected first-round draft pick to the Hawks on July 1 for Huerter, who's putting up career numbers in his first season in Sacramento. Huerter is averaging 15.7 points while shooting 42.2 percent from 3-point range on 7.0 attempts in 33 games. He ranks 12th in the NBA in total 3-point makes, with 97, which leads the Kings and would be tops on his former team, too.
Huerter's 97th triple of the season swished through the net in dramatic fashion as the game-winner in the Kings' 126-125 victory over the Jazz.
Huerter's career-high night finally erased a storyline that had followed him for years. Hawks teammates used to tease Huerter that he couldn't reach 30 points, as he'd scored 27 or more five times before finally posting 30 on Friday.
"He's scared of 30, so I don't think he'll do it again," Kings guard Malik Monk jokingly said Friday. "... Kevin is great. Kevin is not going to get down on himself, either. He's going to keep shooting the ball the same as me. It's great to see him get his career high."
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Added Kings guard De'Aaron Fox: "That's what Malik told me when I didn't get 40 [points] in college. If you're getting [close] to getting 30 or 40 or 50, Malik is going to say that you're scared to get it. So, it's good Kevin got over that hump."
Huerter is playing the best basketball of his career, and doing so in a Kings uniform. That has to sting for a Hawks franchise that's teetering on the edge of blowing it up and starting over soon.