Atlanta Hawks General Manager Travis Schlenk tells Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the Hawks won’t be the team making moves at 12:01 on July 1 this year:
“Free agency, you typically see deals at 12:01 (a.m.),” Schlenk told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I don’t anticipate us being a team with a deal at 12:01. We’ll see what the market dictates.”
Concerning Millsap and Hardaway, Schlenk would not indicate whether he has a price threshold that he’s willing to pay for each. Millsap is an unrestricted free agent. Hardaway is a restricted free agent and the Hawks have more flexibility regarding his contract.
“The one thing I’ve maintained is that we are going to be flexible and not sign bad deals,” said Schlenk, admitting he realizes he already sounds like a broken record already in his short tenure with the team. “That means different things for different guys.”
According to people familiar with the team’s situation, Millsap could receive interest from as many as eight teams. With the salary cap now projected at $99 million, Millsap is eligible for a maximum contract of five years for $201 million from the Hawks and four years, $149 million from another team. Schlenk has indicated the team won’t offer Millsap the maximum and that he may receive a better offer from another team.
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“We are going to have our conversations with Paul,” Schlenk said. “He’s unrestricted. He could sign at 12:01. We’ve had conversations. Could (he sign immediately)? Sure. … Paul, we’ll sit down and talk to them. They will look at all their offers. I don’t know that he is in a huge hurry to move quickly. I don’t think something will happen at 12:01 but it might.”
Schlenk said the Hawks will sign a power forward in free agency, whether it’s Millsap or another available player.
The Hawks extended a qualifying offer to Hardaway this week to make him a restricted free agent. The move gives the team the ability to match any offer sheet Hardaway may sign with another team. The Hawks could also sign Hardaway to a new deal.
According to the new collective bargaining agreement, Hardaway could sign an offer sheet during the league’s moratorium period from July 1-6. Schlenk said he expects that Hardaway is not in a rush to make a decision.
“He is a priority for us, just like Paul,” Schlenk said of Hardaway. “I don’t see (a quick offer sheet signing) coming. It could happen. I think they’ll give us a heads up.”
In all likelihood, the DNA of next year’s Hawks team rests on whether or not Millsap re-ups with Atlanta. If Millsap stays, the team can stay (relatively) competitive. They should at least be a playoff team, though finding a center will be vital given that they traded Dwight Howard.
If Millsap signs elsewhere, the Hawks will suddenly be a young and rebuilding team. Kyle Korver is gone. Jeff Teague is gone. DeMarre Carroll is gone, Al Horford is gone. If Millsap leaves, the core of that 2014-15 60-win Hawks team is completely gone. Instead, it’ll be Dennis Schröder, Kent Bazemore, Taurean Prince, Tim Hardaway Jr, DeAndre Bembry and John Collins. There’s some talent there, but it’s not a playoff team unless they somehow land a marquee free agent. That’s fine, though. Sometimes rebuilding is the prudent move.
