Hope springs eternal during the offseason in the sports world with the anticipation around the potential wheeling and dealing, and the Atlanta Hawks’ trade for Kristaps Porzingis underscores that. However, the other side of that deal is the players lost, like Terance Mann.
The Hawks acquired Mann from the Los Angeles Chargers before the deadline, in a deal that sent out Bogdan Bogdanovic and also yielded Bones Hyland.
Mann, for one, was not exactly beside himself about the move.
He noted that he was born in Brooklyn Hospital and that the move was “crazyyyyy” in a post that has since been deleted, most likely due to the deal not being able to be completed yet, since the Nets are absorbing him into cap space.
Mann, 28, averaged 9.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 30 appearances with the Hawks following his trade from LA.
He ranked eighth in minutes and ninth in points on the team from that point on.
However, Mann tallied 7 total points in the Hawks’ Play-In Tournament matchups against the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat. He also had one of the lowest efficiency marks on the team, earning an ominous label before his trade.
“Terance Mann … is probably the Atlanta Hawks’ most expendable mid-level-or-larger sized salary. He fits the scrappy defensive motif they are constructing around Trae Young, but they shouldn't hesitate to move him if it helps upgrade their secondary ball-handling or frontcourt rotation,” Favale wrote on June 21.
“Whether he has any standalone value is a different story. Mann’s contract is far from onerous, but his see-sawing offensive impact caps how many minutes he can sponge up.”
Mann may not have exactly value on his own, but his deal was also not prohibitive.
Hawks star Trae Young was excited about the prospects of playing alongside Mann, who took the place of a fan favorite in Bogdanovic, bringing what Atlanta hoped would be a stabilizing presence behind the four-time All-Star.
“It’s nowhere below the playoffs. That’s got to be our focus,” Young said during the “From The Point” podcast in February. “When we made these moves, and we got guys, obviously, from the Cavs – who were the No. 1 team at the time. And then you bring in T-Mann who’s – I don’t even think he’s ever not been in the playoffs. You got winners around you, so it’s like you got to win. You got to be in the playoffs, so that’s our main focus.”
The Hawks went 16-14 with Mann in the lineup during the regular season, but the opportunity to get out from under his three-year, $47 million contract.
Porzingis is on an expiring two-year, $60 million pact.
Whatever the Hawks’ greatest motivation was, Porzingis profiles as a better fit to address a need than Mann proved to be. Moreover, the Hawks are not done adding to their roster, which leaves plenty of intrigue around the rest of the offseason.