Despite having a focus on their long-term future, the Hawks plan to be aggressive with top-tier free agents during the 2019 offseason, Sam Amick of The Athletic writes.
Atlanta currently sports a young core headlined by Trae Young and John Collins, a pairing that could intrigue star free agents. Players such as Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Klay Thompson, Khris Middleton and DeMarcus Cousins are set to reach free agency on July 1, with each name a potential target for the youthful Hawks.
Atlanta holds the fourth-worst record in the Eastern Conference at 21-41, but the team will have roughly $41MM in cap space to work with this summer. As Amick notes, the franchise is armed with a promising young nucleus, a new head coach (Lloyd Pierce), and an upgraded arena and practice facility as it seeks meetings with some of the top available names on the market.
The Hawks have Dewayne Dedmon, Vince Carter and Justin Anderson as players who will become free agents this summer. Forward Kent Bazemore holds a player option for the 2019/20 season worth $19.2MM.
I didn’t think ATL was going to progress as well as they have this year, but I am impressed with Pierce, the development of Collins and Heurter. I don’t see a Max level guy signing with the Hawks this offseason, but I could see them being an attractive place for quality players and RFA’s.
I suppose Cousins might be interested in the Hawks if they make his only max offer but realistically that list of players is not likely to attach to ATL.
Was that Amick’s list? But his linked article starts with a different topic entirely before the paywall.
Does “aggessive” mean bound and determined to pay the max to the best player they can, worthy or not? Might be good news for Vucevic.
Amick’s exact wording:
“They’re planning to pursue meetings with the best-of-the-best in free agency when July 1 rolls around. It’s a half-court shot of sorts, to be sure, but they’d love nothing more than to fire that pitch to everyone from Kevin Durant on down.”
Thanks. Captures the spirit of it
Jimmy Butler would look good as a hawk
hawks draft zion and het boogie and a rim slasher they’d be two years away from being two years away
Could that rim slasher happen to be the Brazilian KD?
Cousins is going to come off this off season with a very big contract. Butler will get the max and get over paid. Thompson will resign with GSW. Max contracts will be handed out like candy this off season.
What constitutes being “aggressive” with true max players? The vast majority of these guys are at an age where it’s unlikely they’re going to be drawn to a team principally based on the team’s 19-22 year old talent base. Plus, while the Hawks have some good ones in that category (the underrated Collins being the best of them), they don’t have one that projects as an AS right now. The new Atlanta GM likes to talk big and tell everyone how smart he is. I’ll put this in that category until proven otherwise.
I would love to see the Hawks sign Klay Thompson this offseason. It would return Atlanta to being a sharp-shooting dynasty. Then they will be very dominant next year. Thompson/Collins will be a sure-shot combo