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Soaring Down South Atlanta Hawks Roundtable: Dwight Howard, NBA Draft, More

By Justin Hodges

Feb 3, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Then Atlanta Hawks logo on a pant during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. The Atlanta Hawks won 124-86.Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 3, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Then Atlanta Hawks logo on a pant during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. The Atlanta Hawks won 124-86.Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Atlanta Hawks
Apr 2, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) warms up prior to the game against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Big name players are flying around the trade marker as well as the upcoming free agency period. If you had to pick one notable NBA player that’s sure to be available, who is the most likely player to soon be a Hawk?

Phil Veasley: Kristaps Porzingis. KP is still under his rookie contract. Also he is not a free agent for at least two more years so he doesn’t carry the risk that Paul George does. As for the free agency market, Gordon Hayward would be a dream fit in Atlanta.

Nile Goodwyn: If Paul Millsap does leave the Hawks, signing another high-level power forward would be intriguing. Blake Griffin is also a free agent, and would instantly become the face of the Hawks if the team managed to sign him. Griffin does everything that Millsap does, but at a higher rate, and with more flash. Griffin was the 9th most famous active NBA player according to an ESPN survey, and he would fill Millsap’s position and fill seats  in Phillips Arena, which was 26th in attendance last season. 

Austin Bende: Atlanta’s small market and less than suitable cap space makes it hard to expect a Gordon Hayward or Chris Paul to even think about us. However, Jeff Green or Rudy Gay are recognizable names that are in the Hawks’ realm of possibility.

Xavier Cooper: It’s kind of hard to answer that question. It looks like the Hawks are trying to take a step back and maybe sign or trade for some young players that they could develop for the future. If that’s the case, I don’t see the Hawks trying to sign any megastars or superstars that would demand a big money contract. I expect the Hawks to try to get some young, cheap, good character guys that’ll fit the unselfish culture here in Atlanta from somewhere via trade or free agency.

Tyler Sellers: Andre Iguodala. He is past his prime and may not fit the Hawks youth movement, but he would be a good mentor to Taurean Prince, and I feel like that’s important to them. He knows what it takes to be a star small forward in this league. His experience would be beneficial to Prince’s growth. Not the most juicy prediction, or my favorite, but it’s something I would expect from the Hawks.

Toby Bean: Honestly, I don’t really see the Atlanta Hawks signing any marquee players in Free Agency. But if I had to choose one player it would be Danilo Gallinari. If the Hawks let Millsap walk and work some trades out they may create enough space to sign the versatile Italian. It would most likely be on a short-term deal where the Hawks could have the ability to trade him if things don’t work out. While the Hawks could be rebuilding, they may want to bring in a player like Gallo to appease the fans desire for a somewhat competitive team. Also the Hawks are an organization that is very set on “having a winning culture”. So I don’t believe that a full on tanking will occur under this regime, a move such as this would reflect that.

Da’Vonte Hughes: One player I would like to see the Atlanta Hawks make a play for is Danillo Gallinari. Gallo is a guy that fits the Hawks system like a glove. Gallo could give the Hawks the premier stretch ¾ that they have been looking for ever since Coach Budenholzer signed up for the job. The most likely player to become a Hawk might be Marreese Speights. Speights has ties to General Manager Travis Schlenk as he recently played for the warriors during their championship run. Speights would be a decent stretch 5 option that would get a significant increase in minutes if he chose to sign with Atlanta.

Jack O’Donnell: Well if we’re talking dream scenarios, welcome to Atlanta Paul George, but realistically I think we’re looking for picks/young assets not any big names at this point.