The Atlanta Hawks have been a model of consistency over the past 8 seasons, playing postseason basketball and having predictable roster turnover nearly every year.
The upcoming free agency period and the uncertainty that surrounds it is uncommon for such a by the book franchise. Do the Hawks sign Paul Millsap to a max? How much is too much for Tim Hardaway Jr.? How does the team move forward after the Dwight Howard trade?
Travis Schlenk and company have certainly put a new and almost uneasy feeling in the bellies of the fans of the Atlanta Hawks, but I caution you to not overreact just yet.
Travis Schlenk learned under a front office in the Golden State Warriors that has a history of making bold moves, such as trading star guard Monta Ellis to the Bucks for an injury riddled Andrew Bogut in 2012. Bogut would go on to anchor a championship winning Golden State Warriors defense.
The Dwight Howard trade will seemingly be a move that benefits the team going forward. He had a relatively good bounce back season here in Atlanta but with the franchise’s current vision, there was no place for Howard to fit in on top of his rudimentary play style and near max contract.
The Millsap confusion will work itself out very soon. Schlenk has made it obvious he wants Paul back in the ATL but knows Millsap might get better offers elsewhere. Anything other than that is simply speculation. The Dwight Howard move also makes it obvious Schlenk is thinking long term, so don’t automatically assume Paul is coming back.
The situation pertaining restricted free agent Tim Hardaway Jr. is one we currently have not heard many rumblings about. Him being a restricted free agent this summer means that the Hawks have final say on if he stays or if he goes. Given the breakout season Hardaway had this past year and the sure evolution of him as a perimeter shooter, we should expect the Hawks to match any offer sheet that is given to him.
Tim Hardaway had far and away his best season in the NBA this year. At the ripe old age of 25 he showed the assertiveness in scoring that Atlanta is missing. Dennis and Prince will churn out consistent scoring but the occasional 30 point outbursts from Timmy add a new dimension to the offense.
Even if it seems like Atlanta’s current trajectory is foggy, just remember that LeBron James and Boston still rule the East. Golden State still has little resistance in the West and everyone else has the most valuable commodity of all, time. Whether the team continues to win now or goes into full rebuild mode, the Hawks have a good future ahead of them.