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NBA Free Agency 2018: 5 offseason targets for the Atlanta Hawks

By Jerry Christodoulatos

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 10: John Collins #20 of the Atlanta Hawks makes his entrance before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 10, 2018 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kevin Liles/NBAE via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 10: John Collins #20 of the Atlanta Hawks makes his entrance before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 10, 2018 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kevin Liles/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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After making the playoffs for ten straight seasons, the Atlanta Hawks finally bottomed out last year.  How should they approach the summer of 2018?

With the departure of Coach Mike Budenholzer in April, the Atlanta Hawks are entering a new era. The writing seemed to be on the wall for Coach Bud as early as last summer. After holding the dual role of coach and team president for three seasons, Bud lost his presidential powers in May 2017. A few weeks later, the Hawks brought in Travis Schlenk to fill in the vacant GM role and the franchise changed its course.

Atlanta traded Dwight Howard for Marco Bellinelli and the putrefied contract of Miles Plumlee in June 2017.  And a few weeks later the franchise opted to let Paul Millsap walk and didn’t match New York’s offer sheet for Tim Hardaway Jr. After ten straight playoff appearances, Atlanta finally made a conscious decision to blow up its core and bottom out. With a new management hierarchy firmly in place and former Sixers assistant Lloyd Pierce on board as head coach, the long rebuild continues for Atlanta.

The Hawks are in good position to propel the rebuild forward this summer.  Atlanta has the third, nineteenth and thirtieth overall picks in the 2018 Draft and at least $20 million in cap room. With three incoming draft picks Atlanta will have one of the youngest rosters in the league next year.  Given the current state of affairs, the objectives of the 2018-2019 season should be much the same as last year’s. The Hawks should look to add and develop as much young talent as possible, giving the youngsters plenty of time and leeway within the rotation.

The Hawks won’t have a ton of open roster space as we head into the season, mostly because of the three rookies they are set to take on. Of course, that doesn’t mean that they should punt their free cap space. Because Atlanta is in the asset collection game, it can use its free space in the trade market. That’s probably where the Hawks will get the best value for that space. Following the example of the Brooklyn Nets might be the proper play here (has anyone ever said that before???).

The Nets have been the salary dumping ground of the NBA for almost two years now.  If the Hawks take on bad salary from teams that are trying to avoid the luxury tax, they might be able to extract some future first-round picks or young assets out of desperate teams. Atlanta should also feel out the trade value of Kent Bazemore and Dennis Schroeder. Those guys might have some value around the league and don’t exactly fit the franchise timeline anymore.

In terms of free agency, Atlanta doesn’t figure to be much of a major player. Clearing max space to sign a star is obviously unrealistic. Last summer the Hawks acquired a few veterans like Dewayne Dedmon and Ersan Ilyasova on bargain deals. Those guys didn’t have much value when Atlanta dangled them at the trade deadline though. Ultimately, this team needs some players with star potential. While John Collins and Taurean Prince are nice pieces that project to be legit rotation players, they don’t have much star upside. Having the third pick in a deep draft helps, but Atlanta can also look to strike in the restricted free agent market.

The Hawks have the cap room and the time to take some risks on guys that haven’t really lived up to their pre-draft expectations. With no surefire stars on the roster, Atlanta should take some swings in the restricted market. Here are five players that Atlanta should consider pursuing this summer.

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