Will Adreian Payne Trade Clear Way for Ray Allen to Join Atlanta Hawks?

The Atlanta Hawks' roster is already a work of art, but it could be crafted into a masterpiece with a simple midseason signing.

Following a formal announcement Tuesday that Atlanta had dealt 2014 first-round pick Adreian Payne to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for a 2017 lottery-protected first-round pick, Atlanta has an open roster spot to fill. 

According to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, Atlanta has two players in mind to pad its depth on the wing. One is Gary Neal, who may or may not be bought out after getting traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a separate deal on Tuesday, according to 1500 ESPN's Darren Wolfson. 

The other is 39-year-old shooting immortal Ray Allen: 

However, head coach Mike Budenholzer reiterated to reporters that trading Payne doesn't mean another signing is inevitable in the near future, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Chris Vivlamore: 

Of the two options Wojnarowski lists, Allen is the far more compelling piece to the Hawks' championship puzzle. Yes, Neal and Budenholzer have a history that dates back to their time with the San Antonio Spurs, but Atlanta can't pass up an opportunity to sign the NBA's all-time leader in three-pointers made. 

According to Vivlamore, the Hawks have, in fact, had discussions with Allen's camp, although no signing appears to be imminent. ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst adds that Allen is most likely to make a final decision regarding his playing future following the NBA All-Star break. 

"He's a guy that has done everything he needs to do in his career," Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James said, according to Northeast Ohio Media Group's Chris Fedor. "He doesn't need to be pressured by anyone."

At this point in the season, the logic regarding any potential Allen signing feels two-pronged. 

First, swingman Thabo Sefolosha was diagnosed with a calf strain on Feb. 1 that's scheduled to sideline him for six to eight weeks, opening the door for a wing to come in and fill some of those rotational minutes. 

However, as Budenholzer acknowledged, per Vivlamore, bringing any new bodies aboard could disrupt the tremendous chemistry the Hawks have crafted en route to totaling a 43-10 record. 

“We really like our group," Budenholzer said. "You are hesitant to do anything. There is a little more opportunity for a six to eight-week window but I don’t think it changes much if at all.”

Second, Allen still has redeemable skills that could be accentuated by Atlanta's spread offense. 

Not only do the Hawks lead the league in three-point field-goal percentage (39.3), but they also rank tops in assist percentage (67.6) by a solid 2.4 points over the Golden State Warriors, according to NBA.com. 

If there was one system that could wring every last drop of talent from Allen's 39-year-old legs, it's the one Budenholzer has in place. Whether he's darting around screens a la Kyle Korver or drifting to corners as a weak-side shooter, Allen can still rip nylon cords with his legendary stroke. 

Last season confirmed as much.

Even during a so-called down year, Allen still topped the league average by shooting 37.5 percent from three. A career-high 41.1 percent of those triples were attempted from the corners, and they dropped at a steady 42.5 percent clip, according to Basketball-Reference.com.  

Player	FG%	3P%	Corner 3P%
Al Horford	53.9	32.0	38.1
DeMarre Carroll	47.2	40.1	44.8
Jeff Teague	46.9	34.9	40.0
Kent Bazemore	43.2	41.8	51.9
Kyle Korver	51.6	52.8	59.3
Mike Scott	44.5	39.4	63.6
Paul Millsap	48.1	35.3	47.2

Since the Hawks already boast six regular rotation players hitting at least 40 percent of their corner threes, finding Allen a spot in that mix wouldn't figure to be particularly difficult. 

Allen's arrival would also allow Atlanta to roll out five-man units replete with marksmen. 

"With Allen, the Hawks could also go with some interesting lineups," HawksHoop.com's Caleb Cottrell wrote. "If they really wanted, they could go small with Jeff Teague, Allen, Korver, Carroll, and either Paul Millsap or Al Horford." 

The thought of a lineup with that much floor spacing is mind-boggling. But considering the makeup of the Hawks' roster, they could conceivably roll out several permutations boasting five shooters without sacrificing significant size down low. That's a luxury Atlanta can afford with capable three-point shooting bigs like Paul Millsap and Al Horford.  

Also seasoned from a title-contending perspective, Allen could provide some wisdom to a locker room that's devoid of championship experience. While Hawks players have plenty of collective postseason trips under their belts, Sefolosha (2012) is the only current Atlanta player who's advanced to the NBA Finals.  

Appearing in three of the last five Finals during stints with the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, Allen reaffirmed that he was a consummate pro. Learning from his vast array of experiences, Allen undoubtedly has bundles of knowledge worth imparting to some of the Hawks' youngsters.   

So for all of the talk that Allen could potentially create some sort of chemical imbalance in Atlanta's locker room, past results indicate his addition could stand to mentally fortify a surging squad.

With a free slot on the depth chart calling Allen's name and Atlanta representing a perfect tactical fit for his aged skill set, the Hawks' current situation should sell itself beautifully as the two-time champion ponders his next move. 

All statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and current as of Feb. 10 unless noted otherwise.