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Don’t Expect Anything Big From The Atlanta Hawks This Free Agency

By Xavier Cooper

Apr 6, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) reacts after a play during their game against the Boston Celtics at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 123-116. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 6, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) reacts after a play during their game against the Boston Celtics at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 123-116. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
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Its almost safe to say that the Atlanta Hawks organization is looking to take a step back and prepare for the future.

Assuming the Hawks won’t re-sign Paul Millsap, they’ll be in rebuild/retool mode. Free agency begins at midnight, and the Hawks have to decide what type of roster they need coming into next season.

The 2017 NBA free agency is the most chaotic part of the NBA offseason. Franchises are scrambling around offering players deals, superstars are being moved around to different teams, and tons of rumors are swirling around social media. Luckily, the Hawks aren’t looking to land any superstar free agents, unless of course Paul Millsap decides to stick with the Hawks for a low cost. Schlenk doesn’t like bad contracts so, we’re all pretty sure he won’t be in a Hawks uniform next season.

The benefit in taking a step back is that there isn’t any pressure on the franchise to make an outrageous move. The Atlanta Hawks are never in any real contention of getting a high-level player through free agency. Now that the Hawks know for sure that’s not what they want, they can focus their energy on making this an elite ball club for the future. What the Hawks need to go for this offseason is simple. They need to become younger, create some cap space if possible, and sign a veteran or two that’ll come in and be a mentor to the younger guys.

The first priority come midnight will be Paul Millsap. The Hawks have been discussing sign and trades for Millsap but, they have to be careful about not just settling for anything. Atlanta needs to be looking to get as many draft picks or young players with potential as possible. Signing players 26+ to expensive contracts is not the way to go. Sure, the more youth the more mistakes will be made. But the Atlanta Hawks know they won’t be contenders next season with the absence of Millsap. The Hawks will lose more games than last season based on that alone. But what’s the point of having an ok season knowing that only a couple of players on the roster will improve. John Collins, Tyler Dorsey, and Alpha Kaba seem like good young fits here in Atlanta but, the more the merrier.

Not only do the Hawks need to get younger but, they need try their best to free up cap space. Kent Bazemore is one of those guys that the Hawks would love to get rid of and gain cap room. It’ll be hard to trade him but, maybe he’ll perform well early on in the season and create some type of trade value. Bazemore is making an annual average salary of $17,5000,000, and has 3 more years left on his contract. Bazemore doesn’t produce the stats synonymous with this type of contract. Travis Schlenk is a stickler about signing healthy contracts, so shipping Bazemore off to another team is a priority for him for sure.

Last but not least, the Hawks need a veteran or two to come in and help the young players mature. When you’re about to go through a season where you know you’re going to lose some games from inexperience, you need an older player in the locker room to help these players deal with things like the media, locker room issues, how to deal with losing streaks, what it takes to get better, dealing with refs, etc. Veterans have been through winning and losing seasons, the ups and downs of franchises, and everything you can think of while being in the NBA. Of course the Hawks don’t need to go throwing the bank at a player that won’t produce efficient playing time. But signing someone 30+ for a low amount won’t hurt.

This is pretty much how the Atlanta Hawks offseason will play out. They’ll try to become younger, clear some cap space for flexibility, and sign some cheap veteran players. The Hawks aren’t getting Gordon Hayward or Blake Griffin. Expect to see the Hawks be similar to the Phoenix Suns. They’ll have a few young players, one to two good players, and a veteran or two. The Hawks of course will be a little bit older than this Suns squad. It’s not a bad thing that the Hawks won’t be in the spotlight. All this means is that the Hawks realize that it’ll almost be impossible to assemble a team that’ll beat teams like Cleveland and a Boston Celtics team with Gordon Hayward or Paul George on it. The Hawks are focused on the future, not the now.