Dec 13, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Bruno Fernando (24) and Orlando Magic forward Chuma Okeke (3) reach for a rebound during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
With the Atlanta Hawks’ season officially over, here are three players who definitely won’t be back next season.
The Atlanta Hawks had the proverbial Cinderella run in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. They defeated the fourth-place New York Knicks in five games in the first-round, while pulling off the massive upset over the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in the second-round. Unfortunately for the Hawks, the magic ran out in the Eastern Conference Finals.
On Saturday, the Hawks lost to the Milwaukee Bucks 118-107 in Game 6, officially eliminating them from the playoffs. But, the future is bright for the Hawks, especially with star guard Trae Young showing he can be a top ten player in the league with his dominant performances throughout the playoffs. Even so, there are going to be some members of the Hawks who ultimately won’t return for next season.
Here are three players who probably won’t return for next season.
Bruno Fernando, Center
Bruno Fernando joined the Hawks as a second-round pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2019 NBA Draft. Fernando played in 56 games (13 starts), where he averaged 4.3 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 51.8-percent from the field.
Fernando did play in just 33 games this regular-season, as he averaged just 1.5 points and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 40.9-percent from the field. The big man’s playing time was cut in half, as he averaged just 6.8 minutes per game as opposed to his 12.7 minutes his rookie season. Fernando only played in five playoff games for Atlanta, where he totaled six points (two-for-two from field) and grabbed one rebound in 13 minutes of playing time.
With Fernando’s playing time being cut, the Hawks may very well move on from him this offseason despite him having one year left on his deal.