Atlanta Hawks forward Saddiq Bey is out for the season with a torn left ACL, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday. The injury occurred on Sunday, when the Atlanta Hawks faced the New Orleans Pelicans. Bey left the game early in the fourth quarter, and an MRI on Monday revealed the serious injury. A torn ACL is among the more serious injuries typical to basketball and can often take a year or more to recover from.
This injury is the latest curveball for Bey, who had a promising start to his career with the Detroit Pistons before having an uneven last few seasons. Bey averaged 16.1 points per game in his second season as a Piston, suggesting he was on a trajectory toward becoming at least a high-level starter. With excellent size for a defensive wing and uncommon scoring upside, Bey was at one time considered a possible cornerstone in Detroit.
But the Pistons traded him midway through his third season amid rumors that he wanted a hefty contract extension. ESPN's Jonathan Givony reported that he had heard Bey was seeking a contract similar to the one De'Andre Hunter signed with the Atlanta Hawks, which, with incentives included, could be worth up to $95 million over four seasons. Bey's numbers regressed in his third season, and his defensive potential hadn't yet been realized, so the Pistons sent him to Hunter's Hawks.
This season hasn't been much better for Bey. He averaged 13.7 points per game before his injury, but shot relatively poorly from both the field (41.6%) and behind the 3-point line (31.6%). He still hasn't put it together on defense, and now, the injury only further complicates his future.
Bey is set to be a restricted free agent this offseason. Restricted free agency typically favors incumbent teams. Opponents rarely want to tie up their cap space for several days just to see the original team match an offer sheet. They might do so for the best restricted free agents on the market, but right now, Bey doesn't exactly look like one of them. In all likelihood, he's headed down one of three paths:
- A team-friendly extension with the Hawks. It would have to be pretty team-friendly to make sense for Atlanta, as the Hawks are currently slated to have around $163 million on their books next season. The luxury tax is projected to come in at $172 million, and it seems unlikely that the Hawks would pay the tax for their current roster.
- A one-year qualifying offer with the Hawks that would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent in 2025. Bey met the starter criteria for a higher qualifying offer this season, but qualifying offer values are tied to draft position, and as Bey was a No. 19 overall pick, his qualifying offer is still only a one-year, $8.5 million deal for next season.
- If the Hawks choose not to tender Bey a qualifying offer, he will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Bey would therefore have to convince someone to pay him while recovering from a torn ACL, which obviously would not be an easy sell.
None of these outcomes appear especially appealing for a player who, at one point, appeared to have a much brighter path. Perhaps Bey can get back on track when he gets healthy, but he has a lengthy recovery process ahead of him.
