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Atlanta Hawks: A Paul Millsap reunion may not be happening

By Joshua Buckhalter

Mar 28, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Paul Millsap (4) warms up before the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 28, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Paul Millsap (4) warms up before the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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Atlanta Hawks fans hoping for a return of former Hawks forward Paul Millsap, brace yourselves. With the team having one roster spot open, a lot of speculation has taken place as to what they might do with it. Millsap, who played for Atlanta for just four years from 2014 to 2017. Reports were that he was patiently weighing his options.

On Monday, Shams Charania gave an update on the teams who were kicking the tires on the, mentioning the Bulls, Nets, and Warriors as suitors.

Noticeably absent from that list were the Hawks.

Atlanta Hawks not among teams reportedly pursuing Paul Millsap

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The 6-foot-7 vet was originally a second-round pick of the Jazz in 2006. Though his time in Atlanta was relatively brief, those teams made the postseason all four years.

He played his best all in a Hawks uniform, averaging 17.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game while earning all four of his All-Star appearances.

Millsap was a playoff performer in his first go-round too, averaging 17.7 points and 9.4 boards while also getting 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per game as well.

The year before Travis Schlenk took over, Millsap averaged 24.3/9.3/4.3 with 1.7 steals per as the “old man” on the young core at the time.

Former Head Coach and VP of Basketball Operations (and current Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach) Mike Budenholzer decided against dealing him that season, even though he was a pending unrestricted free agent.

He eventually signed with the Denver Nuggets where he spent the last four seasons, averaging 9.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists.

"“Along with Brooklyn and Golden State, the Bulls are pursuing free-agent forward Paul Millsap, sources said. Millsap, a battle-tested 15-year NBA veteran, finished a four-year stint in Denver in which the Nuggets had a 64.7 percent winning percentage and reached the Western Conference finals in 2020. At 35, Millsap’s steal and block rates per 36 minutes were in line with his career average, and last season, his 56.5 percent true shooting percentage was around his career average.”"

Now, many fans have clamored to see him return to The A as a veteran presence.

It’s not as if the 36-year-old would be expected to come in and log heavy minutes. The Hawks are one of, if not the, deepest teams in the NBA. But they do have a really good mix of veterans as it is in Danilo Gallinari, Solomon Hill, and of course Lou Williams.

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Still, adding another sage to this young and still developing group would have been nice. And, for what it’s worth, The report doesn’t specifically say the Hawks aren’t pursuing, just that these other teams are.