The Atlanta Hawks will acquire Nickeil Alexander-Walker from the Minnesota Timberwolves via a sign-and-trade for four years and $62 million, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Monday.
As part of the deal, Atlanta is sending a 2027 second-round pick via Cleveland and cash to Minnesota, sources said.
In addition, the Hawks reached a one-year, $11 million deal with free agent sharpshooter Luke Kennard, sources told Charania. Kennard, 29, has been one of the best shooters in the NBA since coming into the league in 2017-18. He has twice led the NBA in 3-point percentage, and last season in Memphis, he shot 43.3% from distance on four attempts per game.
Hawks star Trae Young reached out to Kennard and Alexander-Walker on Monday evening to help recruit them to the franchise, sources told Charania.
Alexander-Walker’s new contract, which includes a player option and trade kicker, comes after a career season for him in Minnesota, where he recorded highs in total points, rebounds, assists and 3-pointers.
The Timberwolves acquired Alexander-Walker in the Mike Conley trade with the Utah Jazz in 2023, and he blossomed into a premier role player over the next three seasons in Minnesota.
At 6-foot-5 with a long wingspan, Alexander-Walker is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league and shot 38.6% from 3 on 4.3 attempts per game over his past two seasons. He also has developed as a ball handler; he brought the ball up the court for 14.5 possessions per game last season, the highest average of his career, according to GeniusIQ.
Alexander-Walker, who turns 27 in September, was drafted with the No. 17 pick in 2019 and spent parts of four years with the New Orleans Pelicans and Jazz before landing in Minnesota.
During this year’s playoffs, Alexander-Walker became the first player with multiple 20-point games off the bench in a postseason in Timberwolves history.
He’s also one of only five players who appeared in all 82 games in each of the past two seasons.
ESPN Research contributed to this report.
