The Hawks’ magical 2020-21 run ended in the Eastern Conference Finals. The offseason waits for no one, and tough decisions remain on the horizon.
Despite having so much great young talent, the Hawks have their work cut out for them. A John Collins extension is looming, as are a few free agents. In an article by Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, team owner Tony Ressler admits that it will be difficult to return his entire roster next season.
“I’m not sure we’re going to be able to keep every single player that we want to keep. Pretty good bet, pretty good assumption we will not. But I do think we have several years that we should be able to build some real stability. If the question is are we scared of the tax, are we scared of going into the tax? I’m not scared of paying the tax and not being a good team, yes, that I’m scared of, but if we have to go into the tax to be a great team for a period of time, so be it.”
Collins must be the first priority. A restricted free agent, he and the team were unable to reach an agreement on an extension this season. He’ll hit the open market and likely get offered a healthy salary, but it’s up to Atlanta to decide whether to match anything too lavish. Outside of that, veterans like Lou Williams must be considered as well. This offseason will have a ripple effect on the future of an up-and-coming team that is already ahead of schedule.
More NBA Rumors
- There are still some hoops to jump through, but Lakers pending free agent Dennis Schröder recently commented on Olympic play. The veteran point guard revealed that he would be open to representing his home country of Germany in the Tokyo games.
- Anthony Edwards, who burst onto the scene for the Timberwolves this past season, was seen nursing an injury at Team USA practice. Darren Wolfson reports that it’s a sprain.
- Ohio guard Jason Preston has decided to keep his name in consideration for the 2021 NBA Draft, per Woj. Dave McMenamin reports that Preston recently conducted a group workout with the Lakers.
