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The NBA’s worst long-range shooting team is getting some help.
The Portland Trail Blazers have acquired Vit Krejci in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks, a league source confirmed to The Oregonian/OregonLive, adding shooting and experience to the backcourt for the second half of the season.
The Blazers will send Duop Reath and two future second-round picks to Atlanta in the deal, which was first reported by ESPN and came four days before the NBA trade deadline expires.
Krejci, a 6-foot-8 guard from the Czech Republic, is averaging 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 46 games this season. He’s made 38 starts in three-plus seasons for the Hawks, but primarily has served as a backup wing in Atlanta, where he’s quietly developed into one of the best shooters in the NBA.
Krejci ranks 19th in the league in three-point shooting percentage (43.7%) this season and has shot 41.2% or better in each of the last three seasons.
One of the Blazers’ biggest deficiencies is long-range shooting — they rank last in the NBA in three-point shooting (33.6%) — so his addition should provide immediate help to a team chasing a spot in the NBA Play-in Tournament.
Krejci, who is in his fifth NBA season, began his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, who traded for his draft rights after the Washington Wizards selected him with the No. 37 overall pick of the 2020 draft. After one season with the Thunder, Krejci was traded to the Hawks and evolved into a role player off the bench, steadily improving his production every year.
Krejci has averaged 6.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists, while shooting 42% from three-point range, in 154 games for Atlanta. And his scoring average has increased from 6.1 to 7.2 to a career-high 9.0 points over the last three seasons.
Krejci, 25, has two seasons left on his current contract, a 4-year $10.2 million deal he signed in 2024, which includes a non-guaranteed third year and fourth-year team option.
The Blazers are sending Reath and second-round picks in 2027 and 2030 to Atlanta in the deal, according to ESPN. Reath, who was both respected and well-liked in the Blazers’ locker room, underwent season-ending surgery on Thursday to repair a stress fracture in his right foot.
The 29-year-old played sparingly for Portland this season, averaging 2.9 points, 1.2 rebounds and 8.1 minutes in 32 games.