Saddiq Bey out for season with torn ACL
Atlanta Hawks wing Saddiq Bey will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski was first to report Monday.
He last appeared on Sunday against the New Orleans Pelicans, playing only 27 minutes while scoring 14 points on 3-of-8 shooting from 3-point range with five rebounds and two assists.
As Wojnarowski notes, Bey, in the final year of his rookie contract, becomes an restricted free agent this upcoming offseason. Next year will be the first season of Dejounte Murray‘s new extension, thus the Hawks project to be $8 million below the luxury tax threshold with 10 players on their roster, per Spotrac. His price tag will almost certainly lower to where he could accept the $8.5 million qualifying offer if it’s offered to him.
He appeared in 63 games with Atlanta this season, averaging 13.7 points and 6.5 rebounds on 41.6 percent shooting, 31.6 percent from 3-point range and 83.7 percent from the free-throw line. It’s been a down shooting (from distance) for Bey this season, averaging 36.1 percent from beyond the arc over his first three combined seasons with the Detroit Pistons and Hawks.
His role and opportunity have steadily increased under new head coach Quin Snyder, which makes this injury all the more painful. The Hawks, at the back end of the play-in race in the Eastern Conference, are not in a position where they can afford any more costly injuries with Trae Young and Onyeka Okongwu already missing extended time, unfortunately.
Atlanta will now look to Garrison Mathews, Wesley Matthews and De’Andre Hunter to provide supplementary production in Bey’s absence.
***
This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for updates.
Subscribe to Vendetta’s Twitch
Subscribe to Vendetta’s YouTube
Check out the Vendetta Shop
Click here for more NBA content
