The Atlanta Hawks shouldn’t be finished with Nerlens Noel just yet
After an eventful offseason, Nerlens Noel landed a one-year deal to stay with the Mavericks, but he will return as a coveted free agent, and will continue to be a target for the Atlanta Hawks in 2018.
The Hawks and the Mavericks both wrapped up their NBA Preseason campaigns on Oct. 12th, with Dallas claiming a 108-94 victory and the Hawks ending preseason with a 2-3 record. Now the Hawks are entering their first regular season where they are expected to not make the playoffs in what is a period of transition for the franchise.
The big men on the Hawks roster are currently Dewayne Dedmon, John Collins, Miles Plumlee, and Mike Muscala. And of the four aforementioned players, only Collins’ future with the Hawks is secure as of now.
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Dedmon has been very bright in his Hawks debut during preseason, and with a player option on his contract this summer, it is likely that if he should demonstrate his abilities well enough he will opt out and garner a nice payday for his efforts.
Moose also carries a player option on his contract and it is still unsure of whether he will choose to stay with the Hawks or hedge his bets and try to earn his paycheck elsewhere. Both Dedmon and Muscala have been solid thus far, and both will be key pieces during the season.
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Miles Plumlee was absent during preseason due to injury, but he should be scheduled to return soon and build some chemistry with the team. He was acquired through the Dwight Howard trade with the Charlotte Hornets, and fans are still not certain what Schlenk plans to do with the veteran big man.
Enter the 2018 offseason and the option of signing Nerlens Noel. He will demand close to max money, and the Hawks might actually be in the position to offer it him, following a great opportunity to snag some top tier talent in the 2018 Draft.
In the Hawks’ preseason game against the Mavericks, Noel showed eager play and seemed determined to go at Dedmon and Collins and was a force to be reckoned with before retiring early to prevent an injury. On Wednesday Hawk fans will get another chance to see the big man face up against Atlanta, in what promises to be an exciting season opener.
With the roster staying as flexible as ever, per the mantra of Travis Schlenk, the Hawks can make the room necessary to accommodate Noel should he impress the front office and Coach Mike Budenholzer.
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The transition season will be fun to watch, but even more so, it will be fun to speculate. A common belief is that reality is often stranger than fantasy. Let’s see if the Hawks live up to it and give us a good show in 2017-18.