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For the first time since Travis Schlenk took over as general manager in 2017, the Atlanta Hawks appear to be moving to a more win-immediate schedule with the addition of Danilo Gallinari, who the Hawks reportedly signed on Friday at 61. , $ 5 over three years. million transactions, by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
It’s not just Gallinari’s signing, but subsequent dominoes that could fall that makes Atlanta feel like it’s done playing completely for the future. Whether this is a property tenure given to Schlenk and coach Llyod Pierce, or whether it just seems like the right time to take the next step, we can’t be sure. But Atlanta traded in Clint Capela last season and is reportedly in the market for another upgrade, possibly Bogdan Bogdanovic or Rajon Rondo, with around $ 20 million in 2020-2021 cap space remaining.
At this point, Schlenk was fully in asset-raising mode, going so far as to trade Luka Doncic for Trae Young in 2018 as he landed the Hawks an additional pick in the 2019 Draft, which they used on Cam Reddish. . Schlenk also expressed to CBS Sports on more than one occasion that he wouldn’t spend any money just because the Hawks, on paper, had it to spend. It was all about the right fit. The right mix of changing rooms. He wants versatile defenders who can shoot, pass and dribble, a formula he brought from his 13 seasons in the Golden State organization.
Suddenly you can see this plan come to fruition. Reddish has all the physical advantages in the world and really appeared towards the end of last season. DeAndre Hunter is a more defensive wing with a 3-point throwing shot. Kevin Huerter is a shooter with better playing skills than you probably think. Onyeka Okongwu, who the Hawks selected with the No.6 overall pick in Wednesday’s draft, is a 6-foot-9 big-shot who has pulled a lot of false draft tables, with some even ranking him ahead of James Wiseman, who has gone at n ° 1. 2 to the warriors.
One approach would be to continue letting these guys facilitate their development, but with the addition of Gallinari, and it looks like another established player at some point in this free agency period, and suddenly these young guys have to really save their minutes. in a team that is really trying to win.
And you can understand the urgency. Young is already an All-Star, and – just like the Phoenix Suns just did for Devin Booker when trading for Chris Paul – at some point you have to start proving a player of that caliber that you are invested in the game. business to win. Capela has his holes, but he’s a win-now player. Gallinari is obviously an addition to the spirit presented. Gallinari, in my mind, looks a lot like Paul Millsap’s signing with Denver in 2017: a ready-to-go vet who can provide stability and production to a team interested in making significant progress, but ultimately with ambitions likely to- beyond its mandate.
The most interesting game in the Atlanta mix right now is John Collins, who is the second or third best player on the team depending on where you rank Gallinari. Make no mistake about it, Collins is a stallion. He averaged 21 and 10 last season and he stretched into a legitimate 3-point threat – he shot over 40% from deep last season with just under four attempts per game.
But the point is, look at the Atlanta short front. They traded for Capela and drafted Okongwu. One could draw the conclusion that the Hawks are slowly replacing Collins, who is a restricted free agent next summer and should be chasing something close to a maximum contract. Consider this from Zach Lowe:
That said, Sarah Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweeted On Friday night, the Hawks hope to strike a deal with Collins, who is eligible for a rookie extension after three years in the league. The Hawks could sign Collins for that extension and view Okongwu as a future add-on, which would make sense given Collins’ defensive shortcomings, while starting his career off the bench.
Or … stay with me here … the Hawks could build a package around Collins and make a successful bid for James Harden, who we know is eager to leave Houston. Now Atlanta probably wouldn’t be a preference for Harden, but the fact that he’s two years old and a remaining player option on his contract prompts a team like the Hawks to go all-in, at least knowing that they’re going to have it for more than one season.
For the Rockets, Collins is the type of young emerging All-Star they want to anchor a deal. It would be like making a deal with the Celtics for Jaylen Brown. Many teams have future draft picks to offer, and young players like a Reddish or a Hunter to add to the deal, but the team that is capable of putting an aspiring young All-Star on the table is here. team that’s likely to really grab Houston’s attention.
You look at the plethora of young wing talent that Atlanta has amassed and they certainly have some pieces to pick up there. Again, they have draft picks. I will always say that it seems unlikely. Schlenk has bragged about Collins every time I’ve spoken to him, and the risk of losing Harden in two years to all those young assets you’ve compiled isn’t what Schlenk would do in a vacuum.
But the NBA is not happening in a vacuum. If there is real pressure from the top for this team to start winning for real, a Harden-Young duo certainly has its appeal. It would be awkward in that they both need the ball to an extreme degree, but it has been a real Atlanta focal point in getting Young to think and play as an off-ball mover, and it does. would force. Harden, Young, Hunter / Reddish, Gallinari and Capela, with Okongwu on the bench, and potentially another free agent like Bogdanovic, are a team that can fight for a four seed in the East.
Again, I doubt that will happen. But with the way Atlanta feels like it’s on the move, it’s interesting to consider.
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