The Hawks must say goodbye to Kristaps Porzingis by this offseason if they want to be a cap-space team this offseason, barring an extraordinary compromise.
Cap expert Danny Leroux of The Athletic expected the Hawks to start the offseason with between $23 million and $28 million in room to make offseason moves. He also noted that the franchise will have a $9.4 million exception to acquire one more lower-value player.
This, however, assumes Porzingis walks.
Porzingis’s offseason plans are so unpredictable there aren’t even rumors
The Unicorn finds himself in an unprecedented situation. Just two seasons ago, he was a key figure on a Boston Celtics squad that won a ring. He is a true offensive superstar even today, wielding an unstoppable post jumper and a red-hot three-ball. While his defense can be suspect – particularly when he’s forced to dance on the perimeter against a guard – he’s undeniably one of the best players in the world when healthy.
Of course, when healthy is quite the assumption with Porzingis. He was already one of the most injury-prone players in the league before he was diagnosed with POTS this offseason. With a new condition to balance, Porzingis’s availability has taken a massive dive.
He’s played in 17 of 50 games this season – or just 34% of action. Even this figure overstates his impact, however, as he only plays 24 minutes a night, even when healthy. Porzingis has played in just 17% of Atlanta’s total minutes.
What do you make of a player who is better than some All-Stars but has played the 10th-most minutes on his team? On one hand, his pure basketball ability could warrant a max contract. On the other hand, it is a massive risk for any contending team to give Porzingis any money.
Take the Hawks as an example. Heading into the season, vibes were high. They were America’s favorite up-and-coming team and were widely projected to be a team with homecourt advantage in the playoffs. Porzingis, of course, was the marquee addition that fueled these expectations.
However, as mentioned previously, Porzingis has struggled to see the floor. But Atlanta banked on him being available for at least half of the season – and his extended absences coincided with a few horrid losing streaks. The Hawks fell as low as 10th in the East, barreling towards yet another Play-In season. When the Hawks signed Christian Koloko, however, they immediately embarked on a four-game win streak.
The Hawks trusted Porzingis, but this was a mistake. Only after signing a replacement was Atlanta able to right the ship.
This reality makes it nearly impossible to retain Porzingis next season. Unless he signs for the minimum, Atlanta will get more reliable use of its money elsewhere.