Atlanta Hawks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Hawks Sign Donovan Williams To Two-Way Deal, Cut Jarrett Culver

January 17th, 2023 at 10:13am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JANUARY 17, 10:13am: The Hawks have officially signed Williams to a two-way contract, as expected, the club confirmed in a press release.

JANUARY 14, 4:13pm: The Hawks have requested waivers on Culver, the team announced in a press release.

JANUARY 14, 1:16pm: Free agent swingman Donovan Williams is set to sign a two-way deal with the Hawks, sources inform Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). To make room, Atlanta will waive two-way shooting guard Jarrett Culver. Point guard Trent Forrest remains with the Hawks in the team’s other two-way slot.

Williams is currently with the Brooklyn’s NBAGL Long Island affiliate. The UNLV alum had been averaging 15.6 PPG for the Long Island Nets this year, per Charania.

According to Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link), the Hawks view Williams as more of a project, but one possessing potentially higher upside than Culver. John Hollinger of The Athletic tweets that Williams showed what he was capable of during this season’s G League Winter Showcase, when he had two of his best games of the season.

In 10 games with the Hawks, including one start, Culver averaged 4.4 PPG and 3.8 RPG in just 13.7 MPG. The 23-year-old out of Texas Tech will now look to join his fourth NBA team in as many seasons, following prior stints with the Timberwolves and Grizzlies.

Hawks Promote Kyle Korver To Assistant GM

January 16th, 2023 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

January 16: Korver’s promotion is official, the Hawks announced in a press release.

January 13: The Hawks are finalizing a deal to promote Kyle Korver to an assistant general manager position, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Sam Amick of The Athletic first reported that Korver may be in line for that role.

The move represents a rapid ascension in the front office ranks for Korver, who played in the NBA as recently as 2020 and only joined the Hawks in the summer of 2022 as the team’s director of player affairs and development. The former NBA sharpshooter served as a player development assistant on the Nets’ coaching staff in 2021/22.

In his role as Atlanta’s director of player affairs and development, Korver was involved in creating and overseeing a development plan for each player on the Hawks’ roster. In his new position as assistant GM, he figures to be more involved in roster and personnel decisions.

Korver’s promotion is part of a larger shake-up that has been occurring in Atlanta’s front office in recent weeks. General manager Landry Fields replaced Travis Schlenk as the club’s head of basketball operations when Schlenk transitioned into an advisory role last month.

Although he’s only 41 years old, Korver is a relative elder statesman in a young Hawks front office. Fields is 34, while director of business and basketball operations Nick Ressler – the son of team owner Tony Ressler – is just 27.

Clint Capela Ready To Return From Calf Injury

January 16th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Hawks center Clint Capela plans to return for Monday afternoon’s contest against the Heat after missing the past 10 games with an injured calf, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. Capela, who has been limited to 27 games this season, will be on a minutes restriction.

Hawks Rumors: McMillan, Young, Schlenk, Collins

January 16th, 2023 at 11:06am CST by Arthur Hill

It’s becoming increasingly likely that this will be Nate McMillan‘s final season as head coach of the Hawks, according to Lauren Williams and Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Sources tell the authors that a player agent was informed that McMillan won’t be returning in a recent meeting with team owner Tony Ressler and his son, manager of basketball and business operations Nick Ressler.

Star guard Trae Young has been involved in disputes with McMillan, although their relationship has reportedly been smoother since an incident that was highly publicized in early December. Williams and Vivlamore hear from several sources that McMillan has considered resigning (as previously reported), but team officials were able to talk him out of it. When asked for a response, McMillan said he is focused on the playoff race and will delay any decisions on his future until after the season.

New head of basketball operations Landry Fields and Kyle Korver, who is finalizing a deal to become assistant general manager, both denied talking to agents about the team’s plans for McMillan.

“We’ve got half a season (left),” Fields said. “That’s a lot of basketball. There’s been transition. There’s been stories that come out. There’s been so much investment that we have to have today to think about beyond this season. It’s not just like Nate, it’s with a lot of different people. Like for us, how are we thinking about ourselves going forward?

“To start to live into that space without honoring this space would be unfair for everyone involved — Nate, myself, Kyle included — like, that’s somewhere. We believe in Nate right now. He’s for us. He’s trying to do things in this whole transition of leadership that are hard. They’re hard for everyone. So having this partnership right now for the objectives that we have for this continued season is our only focus.”

There’s more on the Hawks, all from Williams and Vivlamore:

The relationship between Young and former president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk deteriorated over the past few months, leading to Schlenk’s decision to move into an advisory role in December, according to the authors’ sources. They add that even though Schlenk is listed as a senior advisor, he’s had no actual input into the organization since stepping down, confirming a recent Sam Amick report. The dispute reportedly began after Game 2 of last season’s playoff series when Young chartered a private flight home from Miami without telling anyone from the team. He was subsequently fined.
Several controversial personnel decisions led to the front office shakeup, sources tell Williams and Vivlamore. Among them was a John Collins trade last season that was ultimately vetoed by ownership. Other moves include the trade of Kevin Huerter to the Kings made just to avoid the luxury tax, the high price the team paid to the Spurs for Dejounte Murray, the signing of Aaron Holiday, who was Nick Ressler’s teammate in high school, and the trade of Luka Doncic to the Mavericks after drafting him in 2018.
The Hawks are focused on portraying an atmosphere of stability amid all the recent changes, Williams and Vivlamore add. The organization is looking for a new uniform sponsor and doesn’t want to scare away a potential advertiser with any appearance of turmoil.

Stein’s Latest: Conley, Beasley, Collins, Kuzma, Russell, Walker

January 16th, 2023 at 7:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers are looking for point guard help and have interest in acquiring Mike Conley from the Jazz, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack column. After a strong start, Utah has fallen to 10th in the West at 22-24 and there’s a growing belief around the league that the team may try to sell off some of its veteran assets, according to Stein.

Conley has remained effective at age 35, averaging 10.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 34 games while shooting 38% from the field and 34.9% from three-point range. The Clippers will be without John Wall for at least two weeks with an abdominal strain, and Reggie Jackson was recently demoted out of his starting spot. Conley is making $22.68MM this year and has a $14.32MM guarantee on his $24.36MM salary for 2023/24.

League sources tell Stein that the Clippers are also seeking another big man to back up Ivica Zubac, who is averaging a career-high 29.1 minutes per game.

Stein shares more trade rumors from around the league:

The Cavaliers have considered a three-way trade to acquire Malik Beasley from the Jazz and send the Hawks‘ John Collins to Utah. Stein reported in November that the Jazz had interest in Collins, but he states that a deal is being held up because the team is asking Atlanta for extra draft compensation for taking on Collins, who still has three full seasons remaining on his five-year, $125MM contract. Stein cites Caris LeVert, who has an $18.8MM expiring deal, as the most likely Cavalier to be involved in the rumored trade.
The Wizards are denying that they have interest in moving Kyle Kuzma, with sources telling Stein that the team plans to meet Kuzma’s asking price after he turns down his player option for next season. Stein states that many league executives believe Kuzma would like to move on from Washington, but he cautions that rumor may be coming from teams that are hoping to sign him.
Stein confirms a recent report from Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports that the Heat have expressed interest in Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell, who has an expiring $31.4MM contract. However, the Wolves would likely have to take back Kyle Lowry unless another team can be added to the trade, and Minnesota doesn’t want to take on Lowry’s contract.
Kemba Walker, who was waived by the Mavericks prior to the leaguewide salary guarantee date, is focused on finding another NBA opportunity. Stein says a weekend report in Italy that Walker was close to signing with Olimpia Milano was mistaken.

Stein’s Latest: Quickley, Rose, Collins, Burks, Sixers

January 14th, 2023 at 2:03pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Although Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley continues to intrigue several rival clubs, New York is now more hesitant to include him in a potential deadline deal, given his strong play since Christmas, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column.

Quickley has averaged 19.0 PPG, 5.2 APG and 5.1 RPG in his last nine games, during which the Knicks have gone 6-3. As was revealed previously, the Mavericks, Wizards, and Bucks are among the clubs with interest in the 6’3″ guard. Overall on the season, he is posting averages of 12.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG and 3.3 APG for the 24-19 Knicks.

There’s more from Stein:

Sources inform Stein that veteran Knicks reserve guard Derrick Rose could be on the move as well. The former three-time All-Star and 2011 MVP has long been a favorite player for head coach Tom Thibodeau, who also coached him with the Bulls and Timberwolves. A source tells Stein that New York would only make a move if the team feels it can “do right by” Rose. This would seem to suggest that the Knicks want to flip the 6’3″ vet to a team with an actual rotational need for him, as he has fallen out of New York’s lineups.
The Hawks have allowed the management team of power forward John Collins to look for favorable possible trade destinations, per Stein. Collins has been on the trading block for a while now. Stein writes that the Jazz, Wizards, Nets and Pacers remain intrigued by Collins to some extent. The 6’9″ big man has been having something of a down season, averaging his fewest field goal attempts (10.3) and points (13.1) since his 2o17/18 rookie year.
Pistons shooting guard Alec Burks has so impressed his current team that Detroit has reportedly been informing rival clubs that it would like to keep him and plans to pick up his $10.5MM team option for 2023/24, according to Stein. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported something similar earlier in the week, noting that it would take a significant return to pry Burks away. Thus far this season, the 31-year-old is averaging 13.8 PPG on .461/.444/.810 shooting splits. He’s also chipping in 3.0 RPG and 2.2 APG for the Pistons.
The Sixers, looking to reduce their luxury-tax bill at the end of the season, are expected to try to trade shooting guards Jaden Springer and/or Furkan Korkmaz ahead of the trade deadline, Stein reports.

Injury Notes: Jokic, Giannis, Turner, Capela

January 14th, 2023 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

The right wrist injury that sidelined Nuggets star Nikola Jokic on Friday has been “bothering him for a while,” head coach Michael Malone said before the game, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter links). However, the team doesn’t seem to have any long-term concerns about that wrist issue, which doesn’t appear to be serious, Singer adds.

While it may be true that Jokic has been dealing with the ailment for a while, the impact on his performance hasn’t exactly been noticeable. In his last 10 games, he has averaged 24.9 PPG, 11.2 RPG, and 10.9 APG on .625/.524/.889 shooting.

Jokic and the Nuggets made the decision to sit him on Friday to let the wrist “calm down” a little, according to Malone, who expressed optimism that the two-time MVP will be available again on Sunday.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the league:

Another former MVP has been dealing with a nagging injury, and it will sideline him on Saturday — Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is out for a second consecutive game due to left knee soreness, head coach Mike Budenholzer confirmed (Twitter link via Eric Nehm of The Athletic). Antetokounmpo scored single-digit points last Friday for the first time all season, then did it again on Wednesday, so it certainly seems like the knee pain has been bothering him.
Pacers center Myles Turner missed a second straight game on Friday due to back spasms, and while head coach Rick Carlisle doesn’t expect to be a long-term problem, he said the big man is unlikely to play on Saturday, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “It will be days, not hours, how about that?” Carlisle said. “There’s no concern that this will be anything but a minor thing. (Saturday) is maybe a reach. … Next week is more likely, but we’ll see.”
Hawks center Clint Capela missed his ninth consecutive game on Friday due to a right calf strain. Capela is making steady progress, but is still feeling some soreness in his calf, and as long as that’s the case, the injury isn’t healed, according to head coach Nate McMillan, who said there’s still no timeline for the 28-year-old’s return (Twitter links via Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal Constitution).

Hawks Rumors: Schlenk, Ressler, Murray, Collins

January 13th, 2023 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks‘ impending promotion of Kyle Korver to assistant general manager is just one of many changes taking place in the team’s front office this season, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic.

According to Amick, although the Hawks announced last month that Travis Schlenk would be moving into an advisory role after stepping down from his president of basketball operations position, league sources tell The Athletic that Schlenk is no longer part of the operation in Atlanta and is free to leave for another team if he so chooses.

Nick Ressler, the 27-year-old son of Hawks owner Tony Ressler, has had “increasing influence” on both roster and staffing decisions since becoming the franchise’s director of business and basketball operations in December 2020, Amick explains, adding that the younger Ressler’s “effect on the decision-making process” was a factor in Schlenk’s departure.

Amick describes the Dejounte Murray trade as the “beginning of the end” for the previous regime in Atlanta, reporting that Schlenk expressed reservations about the price the team paid for the former Spurs guard (three first-round picks, including two unprotected, and a pick swap). Nick Ressler was the driving force behind that move, per Amick.

The “messiness” involving head coach Nate McMillan in early December also played a part in ownership’s final decision on Schlenk, according to Amick, who adds that Tony Ressler may bring in a more experienced executive at some point to help fill out a fairly green front office. There has also been plenty of chatter about the possibility of the Hawks adding more former players to their basketball operations department, tweets Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Here’s more on the Hawks:

Atlanta has been one of the NBA’s most active teams in trade talks in recent weeks and is very much in the market for immediate help, as opposed to trying to recoup draft picks, Amick writes. It’s clear the Hawks’ priority is still to win as soon as possible despite a disappointing start to this season (the team’s record is 19-22).
Rival executives who have spoken to the Hawks about John Collins indicate that the asking price has come down considerably compared to where it was in past years, says Amick. League sources tell The Athletic that there are some scenarios in which Atlanta is simply asking for a quality player in return for Collins, as opposed to that player plus draft capital.
Speaking to Amick, Collins referred to Schlenk’s “advisory role” using air quotes and suggested that the Hawks’ players hadn’t received a full explanation for the front office changes. Murray, meanwhile, admitted that his first season in Atlanta has been more turbulent than he anticipated. “I mean, there’s a lot going on (that’s) non-basketball,” Murray said. “And then with basketball, you’ve got guys in trade rumors.”
Here’s more from Murray on that outside noise: “I wouldn’t say more than what I expected, but more than where I came from in San Antonio where everything was just not as loud. There’s a lot going on, but for me I’m just trying to keep guys together with my leadership, showing up to work, working hard, being vocal and keeping us together, and trying to keep the outside noise the outside noise. But at the end of the day, we all see it. You can’t hide. You can’t run from it. … At the end of the day, winning takes care of it all. So we need to control what we can control, continue to come together as brothers, and try to go out and win basketball games.”

Fischer’s Latest: Jazz, Suns, McDaniels, Sixers, Holmes

January 12th, 2023 at 12:30pm CST by Rory Maher

League personnel expect the Jazz to become a seller ahead of the February 9 trade deadline, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who reports that Utah has received a lot of interest in Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt. The Jazz are looking for a first-round pick in exchange for either player, sources tell Fischer.

A couple weeks ago, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported about three-team trade talks between the Jazz, Suns and Hawks that involved Beasley, Vanderbilt, John Collins and Jae Crowder. Fischer hears from sources that the Jazz and Hawks also discussed a more straightforward deal, with Beasley and Vanderbilt heading to Atlanta in exchange for Collins, but suggests that the deal may have fallen apart when Utah asked for a first-rounder as well.

Echoing a report from Marc Stein, Fischer says Jordan Clarkson “is not considered a trade candidate at this time.” The Jazz want to keep the veteran guard, but are currently limited in what they can offer him in an extension, so he is expected to hit free agency.

Here’s more from Fischer:

Fischer suggests that a three-team deal is the most likely pathway for Crowder to eventually be dealt from the Suns. The Bucks are known to be very interested in Crowder, with Fischer reiterating that Milwaukee has been dangling Grayson Allen to rival teams. Charania reported a couple days ago that the Suns are interested in Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels, but sources tell Fischer that the fourth-year forward is a favorite of GM Mitch Kupchak, so Allen and second-round picks is unlikely to be enough for Charlotte.
Rival teams have gotten the impression that the Suns are looking for another ball-handler at guard, potentially a long-term replacement for point guard Chris Paul, Fischer adds.
Like Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Fischer says the Wizards aren’t currently open to trading Kyle Kuzma, as the team hopes to re-sign him in free agency.
Unsurprisingly, Fischer writes that the Sixers will be actively looking for roster upgrades ahead of a playoff push. However, if that doesn’t come to fruition, Fischer suggests Philadelphia might dump a smaller salary to dip below the luxury tax threshold, pointing to Furkan Korkmaz, Matisse Thybulle and Jaden Springer as potential contracts that could be moved.
Kings backup center Richaun Holmes is available on the trade market, sources tell Fischer. The 29-year-old is in the second year of a four-year, $46MM deal, but has fallen out of Sacramento’s rotation under new head coach Mike Brown, averaging just 2.7 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 26 games (9.0 MPG). He averaged 14.2 PPG, 8.3 RPG and 1.6 BPG in 2020/21, so it’s possible a rival team might view him as a bounce-back candidate, but there’s no question that his value has declined.

Pacers Rumors: Power Forward, Duarte, Collins, Turner, Bitadze

January 12th, 2023 at 10:57am CST by Luke Adams

The growing sense among rival teams is that the 23-19 Pacers could be a buyer, rather than a seller, at this season’s trade deadline, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Fischer acknowledges that Indiana’s trade deadline outlook could certainly be altered if Tyrese Haliburton‘s foot injury causes him to miss an extended period. Fischer also adds a caveat to the team’s potential status as a buyer — the Pacers won’t be in the market for short-term veterans like Jae Crowder or Bojan Bogdanovic, but will have an eye out for players who could be long-term fits.

According to Fischer, power forward is the spot the Pacers would most like to upgrade. Indiana was high on Keegan Murray prior to the 2022 draft, and while the club was happy to ultimately land Bennedict Mathurin at No. 6, missing out on Murray means the power forward position remains a priority going forward.

If they want to get aggressive, the Pacers will have a couple extra 2023 first-round picks to dangle in trade talks, having acquired Cleveland’s and Boston’s first-rounders. Additionally, while Indiana viewed Chris Duarte as off limits at one point, multiple front office sources tell Fischer that the team has been more willing to discuss him in recent talks.

Here’s more on the Pacers’ plans:

Indiana has had internal discussions about the possibility of pursuing Hawks power forward John Collins, according to Fischer, who notes that Duarte and draft capital might appeal to Atlanta. The Hawks previously pitched the idea of trading Collins to the Pelicans for Trey Murphy and a first-round pick, Fischer explains. The fact that the Pacers could absorb Collins into their cap room without sending out matching salary could also intrigue the Hawks, who are right around the luxury tax line.
The Pacers and Myles Turner‘s representatives at CAA continue to discuss a possible renegotiation-and-extension for the veteran center, sources tell Yahoo Sports. Fischer suggests that the four-year, $133MM offer sheet Indiana gave Deandre Ayton in July would be an “obvious benchmark” for Turner’s side to use in contract negotiations.
Trade rumors involving Turner have slowed down as of late, Fischer observes. Teams like the Hornets, Pelicans, Mavericks, and Lakers have been viewed as potential suitors in the past, but don’t appear to be targeting Turner at this point. If the 26-year-old ends up back on the trade block, the Knicks, Raptors, and Clippers could be fits, Fischer writes.
The most likely Pacers center to be traded is Goga Bitadze, according to Fischer, who hears from sources that the club would be willing to work with Bitadze’s representatives to find him a new team. Daniel Theis is due back from injury soon and Bitadze hasn’t had much of a role even with Theis out. The fourth-year center also hasn’t been interested in accepting an assignment to the Pacers’ G League team in Fort Wayne, says Fischer.