Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk said he would take a wait-and-see approach to free agency and that’s exactly what he did on the opening day of the NBA’s frenzied period.
NBA free agency began at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, and the Hawks did not immediately reach an agreement with a player — including one of their own. Unrestricted free agent Paul Millsap received interest from several teams early in the process, but did not reach an agreement. Millsap has been linked to several teams, including the Suns, Nuggets, Timberwolves and Kings. According to several reports, Millsap was to meet with Nuggets on Saturday night. The Suns, Timberwolves and Kings have either dropped out or are waning in their pursuit.
The four-time All-Star is eligible for a max contract of five years, $201 million from the Hawks and four years, $149 million from another team.
Schlenk, who has indicated he will not offer Millsap a maximum deal, said the Hawks would sign a power forward in free agency. Whether that is Millsap or another player remains to be seen.
“We are not going to be the first people out of the gate making deals at 12:01 (a.m.),” Schlenk recently told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We are going to see where the market goes. There are going to be guys who end up on good deals. There are going to be guys who you say that’s not a good deal. We want to be that team where they say they got a good player at a good salary.”
The “wait-and-see” approach to the free-agent market continued for most of the day Saturday, according to a person familar with the situation.
The Hawks have several other free agents, including restricted Tim Hardaway Jr. and unrestricted Thabo Sefolosha, Mike Muscala, Ersan Ilyasova and Kris Humphries. Jose Calderon agreed to terms with the Cavaliers on Saturday night, according to his agency. The signing means the Hawks could be in the market for a third point guard.
The Hawks freed a roster spot and $3.5 million in salary-cap space by waiving Mike Dunleavy Jr. on Friday.
