Hawks Rumors

Trade Rumors: Reddish, Simmons, Heat, Nuggets, Warriors

The Hawks, who were listening to inquiries on Cam Reddish prior to the trade deadline in March, remain willing to listen to offers on Reddish and have been taking calls on the young forward, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.

Injury issues derailed Reddish’s second NBA season, so his regular season numbers (11.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG, .365/.262/.817 shooting in 26 games) don’t look great. But the former 10th overall pick is a strong defender and has flashed untapped potential. He made 6-of-7 three-pointers and scored 21 points in the Hawks’ final playoff games against Milwaukee earlier this month.

Kirschner isn’t sure what the chances are that Reddish is dealt, but writes that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Hawks packaged the former Blue Devil with the No. 20 pick in order to move up in the draft.

Here are a few more trade-related tidbits:

  • Earlier today, Sam Amick of The Athletic cited a source who named the Heat as one of the most likely landing spots for Ben Simmons in the event the Sixers move the three-time All-Star. However, another source is downplaying the likelihood of Simmons landing in Miami, according to Amick, who tweets that the 25-year-old and his camp haven’t requested any specific destinations.
  • The Nuggets are comfortable with the No. 26 pick in this year’s draft, as they believe there will still be plenty of talent available at that spot, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. A report on Tuesday indicated that Denver has explored moving up several spots, but Singer hears that teams in the early 20s have actually contacted the Nuggets about the possibility of moving down. It doesn’t sound like Denver has been compelled by any of those offers.
  • Many of the trade scenarios the Warriors have discussed involving the Nos. 7 and 14 picks are dependent on how the draft plays out and which players are on the board when those picks come up, president of basketball operations Bob Myers told reporters on Monday. Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area has the story, with several quotes from Myers.

Hawks Hire Gansey To Helm Skyhawks

  • The Hawks have hired Steve Gansey to be the head coach of their G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, reports Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Gansey spent the past five seasons as the head coach of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

Hawks’ Kris Dunn To Exercise Player Option

Kris Dunn is opting into his contract for next season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who hears from sources that the Hawks guard will pick up his 2021/22 option, worth just over $5MM.

The Hawks signed Dunn last offseason, envisioning him as a player who could share the backcourt with Trae Young and provide stout perimeter defense. However, injury woes derailed Dunn’s first year in Atlanta, as he was sidelined for most of the season while he recovered from ankle surgery.

Dunn made his Hawks debut in late April and ultimately appeared in just four regular season games and five playoff games, primarily in garbage time. In 2019/20, as a Bull, Dunn averaged 7.3 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.4 APG, and 2.0 SPG in 51 contests (24.9 MPG).

Although Dunn is now under contract with the Hawks for next season, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be on the club’s opening-night roster in the fall. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic (Twitter link) suggests it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Dunn and his expiring $5MM contract traded during the offseason.

With Dunn’s decision in, we’re still awaiting word on six more player option decisions around the NBA, as our tracker shows.

Draft Notes: Mitchell, Duarte, Thomas, Şengün

Baylor point guard Davion Mitchell worked out for about seven or eight NBA clubs in the lead-up to Thursday’s draft, including the Thunder, Warriors, and Spurs, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link).

Mitchell, whose team won the NCAA championship this season, is currently slated as a mid-lottery pick on ESPN’s latest big board. The 6’2″ guard averaged 14.0 PPG, 5.5 APG, 2.7 RPG, and 1.9 SPG across 30 games, all starts, during the 2020/21 season. During his final collegiate season, Mitchell posted a shooting line of .511/.447/.643.

Mitchell was honored as the 2020/21 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, as well as being a two-time All-Big 12 and two-time Big 12 All-Defensive Team selection.

Here are some other draft-related notes to pass along:

  • Oregon guard Chris Duarte is not anticipated to fall beyond the No. 15 pick in Thursday’s upcoming NBA draft, per J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star (subscription required). For the 2020/21 season, the 6’6″ Duarte was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and the All-Defensive Team.
  • 6’4″ LSU shooting guard Cameron Thomas, expected to be a first-round selection in the upcoming draft, has thus far worked out for the Pacers, Warriors, Hornets, Grizzlies, Hawks, Knicks and Lakers, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (via Twitter). Hughes adds (Twitter link) that Thomas is also set to work out for the Wizards on July 27. Thomas was a 2020/21 All-SEC selection.
  • Beşiktaş center Alperen Şengün, the 2021 Turkish League MVP, has worked out for the Warriors, Kings, Spurs, Hornets, Magic and Thunder, tweets Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. The big man is projected as a mid-first-round selection on the current ESPN big board.

Kirschner: Hawks Should Retain Collins

After Hawks power forward John Collins opted to not accept Atlanta’s four-year, $90MM contract extension offer during the 2020 offseason, opinions were split on what he could fetch in restricted free agency ahead of the 2020/21 season. As an athletic jump-shooting big man who still appears to have room to grow, Collins now appears set to be one of the top available free agents this summer, opines Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.

Kirschner writes that the Hawks should ensure that they re-sign Collins, who proved to be a crucial component of the club that took the eventual-champion Bucks to six games in the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals. Kirschner projects that a four-year, $110MM deal could satisfy both Collins and Atlanta.

  • The Hawks have announced some finalized coaching staff hires ahead of the 2021/22 season, according to a team press release. Joe Prunty, most recently an assistant with the Suns, and Jamelle McMillan, most recently an assistant with the Pelicans, are the new additions under head coach Nate McMillan. Prunty and Jamelle McMillan were reported to be possibilities for Atlanta earlier this month.

Latest On Bradley Beal

Despite a pair of weekend reports suggesting that Wizards guard Bradley Beal is contemplating his future with the franchise, he has not yet requested a trade, according to multiple reports.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (video link) said on the Woj & Lowe special on ESPN on Sunday that Beal hasn’t asked the Wizards to be dealt; Fred Katz of The Athletic says there hasn’t been a demand, a request, or even a “timid suggestion” for a trade; and Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes that the All-NBA guard has remained in contact with the Wizards’ front office and has given the team no signs that he’s unhappy.

Previous reports from Bleacher Report and The Athletic suggested that Beal might make a decision on whether he wants to remain in D.C. before Thursday’s draft. A trade would be easier to put together before that draft, since it would allow potential suitors to offer 2021 picks and give the Wizards the opportunity to select the players they want with those picks.

However, Hughes cites one source who pushed back on the idea that Washington needs to decide its course within the next four days, pointing out that Beal is under contract next season and not every trade offer would center around 2021 draft picks.

One team whose offer would be heavy on 2021 picks is Golden State, and Wojnarowski (video link) views Beal as the primary target for the Warriors, who don’t seem inclined to get too involved in the Ben Simmons sweepstakes. If Beal isn’t made available via trade, Wojnarowski expects the Warriors to use their picks at No. 7 and No. 14 this Thursday.

Of course, even if Beal is available, there will be other teams in the mix besides Golden State, as ESPN’s Zach Lowe observes (video link). Lowe believes the Wizards would seek more than Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, and the Nos. 7 and 14 picks from Golden State in any Beal deal, suggesting that Washington would likely also ask for the Warriors’ 2026 first-rounder and a pick swap or two.

Here’s more on Beal:

  • Beal has always looked for reasons to stay in D.C. rather than to leave, according to Wojnarowski. “He loves that organization,” Woj said. “He loves that city.”
  • While the Wizards said Beal would have a say in the team’s head coaching search this offseason, the star guard was a little frustrated that his top pick for the job – Sixers assistant Sam Cassell – didn’t get a second interview, sources tell Katz. It’s unclear, however, if that will be a major factor in Beal’s decision on his future.
  • If Beal does request a trade, the Sixers, Heat, and Hawks are among the teams that could join the Warriors in the bidding, sources tell Katz. Hughes, meanwhile, suggests that the Warriors, Heat, Celtics, Trail Blazers, Lakers, and Mavericks are some of the clubs that would likely intrigue Beal.
  • The Thunder have made it known around the NBA that they’d be interested in participating in a Beal trade as a third team, according to Hughes.
  • The Wizards haven’t received any indication that their other star guard – Russell Westbrook – wants out of Washington, a team source tells Hughes.

Eastern Draft Notes: Hawks, Sixers, Cavaliers, Hornets

Tennessee guard Jaden Springer and Oregon guard Chris Duarte are expected to work out for the Hawks shortly before the draft, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic tweets. Duarte is ranked No. 23 on ESPN’s Best Available list, though he’s expected by some outlets to go higher, and Springer is rated No. 27. Atlanta holds the No. 20 pick.

We have more draft news involving Eastern Conference teams:

2021 NBA Offseason Preview: Atlanta Hawks

After spending multiple years using their cap space to take on other teams’ unwanted contracts and slowly gathering assets, the Hawks hit the fast-forward button on their retooling process during the 2020 offseason. The club went out and signed Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari to lucrative multiyear contracts in free agency and gave Trae Young some help at point guard by adding Rajon Rondo and Kris Dunn.

Some of those signings worked out better than others. Injury issues limited Dunn to just four games; Rondo’s play in Atlanta was up and down; and Bogdanovic and Gallinari each missed 20+ games in the regular season for health reasons too.

But Bogdanovic and Gallinari were healthy for most of the second half and played key roles in the Hawks’ strong finish to the season. The team was able to flip Rondo to the Clippers in a deadline deal for Lou Williams, who proved a better fit as a second-unit scorer. And a midseason coaching change from Lloyd Pierce to Nate McMillan was a major factor in the club’s turnaround.

The end result? After a 14-20 start, the Hawks finished the season by winning 27 of their last 38 games, earning the fourth seed in the East and winning two playoff series as underdogs. Despite missing Young for part of the Eastern Finals, Atlanta ultimately got to within two wins of the NBA Finals, an outcome that even team owner Tony Ressler admitted exceeded his most optimistic expectations for the season.

Following a feel-good year in Atlanta, the Hawks’ front office will enter the offseason aiming to retain and add key roster pieces in an effort to ensure the team isn’t affected by regression in 2021/22.


The Hawks’ Offseason Plan:

The Hawks have big contract decisions to make this offseason on three important players: John Collins, Young, and Kevin Huerter. Collins is eligible for restricted free agency, while Young and Huerter are up for rookie scale extensions.

Collins’ situation will be the trickiest of the three, and not just because his contract is about to expire (Young and Huerter each have a year left on theirs). Given the lack of top-level talent on the free agent market this offseason, Collins is the sort of player who could garner a maximum-salary offer sheet from a rival suitor, which is probably a little higher than the Hawks would like to go.

Atlanta offered Collins a four-year extension worth about $90MM+ last year and would likely be comfortable matching something in the $100-105MM range. But a max offer from another team would be worth a projected $121MM. That sort of commitment would reduce the Hawks’ flexibility in the coming years, so it will be interesting to see whether they’re prepared to match that sort of offer if necessary.

There aren’t many teams with substantial cap room this summer, so if the Hawks and Collins negotiate directly, maybe Atlanta could get him back at a slightly more team-friendly rate. And if Collins’ camp is willing to work closely with the Hawks during the free agency process, a sign-and-trade deal could be a solution that benefits all parties. My guess is that the club retains Collins and potentially considers a trade down the road once he’s locked up to a long-term deal, but this could go in a number of different directions.

The Young negotiations should be simpler — the Hawks will have no problem putting the max on the table for their leading scorer and franchise cornerstone. The only sticking point in those talks will be whether Young gets a fifth-year player option, a 15% trade kicker, and Rose Rule language that could bump his starting salary to 30% of the cap. I imagine Atlanta will be fairly accommodating on those points.

Huerter won’t get anywhere close to the max, but he has developed into a reliable sharpshooter and secondary play-maker for the Hawks. Of the players who signed rookie scale extensions in 2020, Luke Kennard is the most obvious comparable for Huerter — Kennard got a four-year, $56MM contract, so Huerter’s reps will likely be looking to match or exceed that number.

Even if Collins returns on a lucrative new contract, the Hawks should have the full mid-level exception at their disposal in free agency. Their priorities will likely be adding depth at point guard, where Williams is a free agent, and at center, where Onyeka Okongwu is expected to be sidelined until at least January following shoulder surgery.

The club could split its mid-level exception into two parts to address those spots or could devote the entire MLE to one player, filling out the rest of the bench with minimum-salary players, the No. 20 pick in the draft, and possibly a bi-annual signing.

Finally, it’s worth noting that the Hawks are well-positioned to package multiple players (and maybe a draft pick or two) for a quality starter if the opportunity arises. My bet is that the team exercises some patience with its current group and counts on getting more from De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish next season after they battled injuries in 2020/21. But if everyone is healthy, this should be a deep roster that could deal from certain positions of strength.


Salary Cap Situation

Note: Our salary cap projections are based on a presumed 3% increase, which would result in a $112.4MM cap for 2021/22.

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

  • None

Restricted Free Agents

Two-Way Free Agents

Draft Picks

  • No. 20 overall pick ($2,659,560)
  • No. 48 overall pick (no cap hold)
  • Total: $2,659,560

Extension-Eligible Players

  • Kevin Huerter (rookie scale)
  • Trae Young (rookie scale)
  • Clint Capela (veteran)
  • Bruno Fernando (veteran)

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Offseason Cap Outlook

Adding cap holds for Collins and the Hawks’ first-round pick brings the team’s total guaranteed commitments to nearly $104MM for 11 roster spots. With a projected cap in the neighborhood of $112MM, that wouldn’t be enough to generate meaningful room, so the Hawks will likely operate over the cap, retaining their full mid-level exception and bi-annual exception.

That could change if the Hawks make a trade that reduces team salary or if Collins walks in free agency, but that’s a less likely outcome for now.

Cap Exceptions Available

  • Mid-level exception: $9,536,000 1
  • Bi-annual exception: $3,732,000 1

Footnotes

  1. These are projected values. If the Hawks decide to operate under the cap, they’d forfeit these exceptions and would instead gain access to the room exception ($4.9MM).

Salary and cap information from Basketball Insiders, RealGM, and ESPN was used in the creation of this post.

Draft Notes: Giddey, I. Jackson, Jokubaitis, Barnes, Kuminga

Due in large part to his obligations with the Australian national team, Josh Giddey hasn’t worked out for any NBA clubs leading up to the draft, tweets James Ham of NBC Sports California. Giddey has been limited to interviews during the pre-draft process. The 6’8″ guard is still viewed as a potential lottery pick, however, ranking 11th on ESPN’s big board.

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

  • Kentucky center Isaiah Jackson told reporters today that he has worked out for the Hawks, Nets, Kings, Thunder, Rockets, and Spurs, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic (Twitter link). He also confirmed that he auditioned for New York, Indiana, and Charlotte, as was previously reported.
  • Rokas Jokubaitis, one of eight international early entrants who kept his name in the 2021 NBA draft, signed a four-year contract with Barcelona this week, as Alessandro Maggi of Sportando relays. As a BasketNews.com report explains, an NBA team could still draft Jokubaitis and bring him stateside immediately, but would have to pay a $750K buyout to his old team, Zalgiris Kaunas. If he remains in Europe, Barcelona would pay Zalgiris Kaunas a more modest buyout.
  • Sam Vecenie of The Athletic takes a look at each team’s biggest need, then considers which prospects each club should target with its first draft pick to address that need.
  • Several coaches and executives at various levels (NBA, G League, and college) shared their thoughts on a handful of draft prospects with David Aldridge of The Athletic. Among the topics Aldridge explored: The Scottie Barnes vs. Jonathan Kuminga debate — the two forwards are the best bets to be drafted fifth and sixth overall in some order, and both have fans among NBA executives.

What Onyeka Okongwu's Surgery Means For Hawks; Exploring Team's Season

  • Chris Kirschner of The Athletic examines what Onyeka Okongwu‘s shoulder surgery means for the Hawks. Okongwu, the team’s No. 6 pick in 2020, is expected to miss roughly six months due to the surgery. He averaged 4.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 12 minutes per game in 50 contests this season.
  • In a separate story for The Athletic, Kirschner explores the Hawks’ incredible season — including some behind-the-scenes stories. Atlanta managed to reach the Eastern Conference Finals largely due to Trae Young‘s career year, losing to the Bucks in six games.