SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Former Hawks guard Kevin Huerter left a piece of his heart in Atlanta as he made his way to Sacramento to start a new chapter in his career with the Kings.
The Kings officially announced Wednesday they have completed a trade sending Maurice Harkless, Justin Holiday and a protected future first-round draft pick to Atlanta in exchange for Huerter. Following the announcement, Huerter took to social media to share some parting words with the Hawks and their fans.
“Just want to thank the @atlhawks organization and all their great fans for the past 4 years,” Huerter said in an Instagram post. “Atlanta has truly become a second home, and the relationships and memories I’ve created here will last a lifetime.
“You allowed me to live out my childhood dream. I will always look back and appreciate my time here, both the good and the bad, and wish my teammates nothing but the best. The city embraced me as their own, as K’Von, and for that I truly thank you. I Will Always Have Love for Atlanta, until next time.”
Huerter, 23, arrived in Sacramento on Tuesday. The 6-foot-7, 198-pound shooting guard spent four seasons with the Hawks after coming out of Maryland as the No. 19 pick in the 2018 NBA draft.
Huerter is entering the first year of a four-year, $65 million contract after signing an extension with the Hawks in October. He started 216 of 274 games in Atlanta.
Huerter averaged 12.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists for Atlanta last season, shooting 45.4% from the field and 38.9% from 3-point range. He has made 563 3-pointers over his first four NBA seasons.
Kings general manager Monte McNair said he is happy to add Huerter, whose shooting will provide floor spacing for point guard De’Aaron Fox and center Domantas Sabonis.
“The opportunity to acquire a player like Kevin is always exciting,” McNair said in a news release. “His ability to create shots and score will make him an instant asset to our team. We would also like to thank Maurice Harkless and Justin Holiday for their many contributions and wish them all the best in the future.”
