Hawks don’t want Millsap to fly away
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Hawks last missed the NBA playoffs 10 years ago, but their win totals have slipped for two straight seasons and the length of their postseason runs is trending shorter.
Losing power forward Paul Millsap would be another big blow to the franchise, and over the weekend that became a real — though not surprising — possibility.
On Saturday, a day after the Hawks lost their first-round series to the Washington Wizards 4-2, Millsap said he “probably will opt out” of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent. Millsap has a $21.4 million option for next season. The four-time All-Star can earn substantially more in a new longterm deal, making the opt-out decision obvious.
Millsap averaged 18.1 points and 7.7 rebounds this season as the top producer on a roster that received disappointing returns from $70 million investments in Kent Bazemore and Dwight Howard. After reaching the Eastern Conference finals two years ago and the conference semifinals in 2016, the Hawks needed a late surge to assure themselves of a playoff spot this season.
There is some good news for Atlanta.
“I want to be here,” Millsap said. “I think talks have been pretty good. … It’s something me, my agent and my family have got to sit down and talk about.”
Millsap’s teammates want him to stay, too.
“I’m definitely recruiting Millsap to come back,” Bazemore said, adding it is “probably smart” for Millsap to take advantage of the opportunity to “sign a big contract.”
Hawks coach and president of basketball operations Mike Budenholzer said he is a “huge believer” in Millsap.
“The best for us is with Paul,” Budenholzer said Saturday. “We’re incredibly optimistic and incredibly committed to Paul.”
Budenholzer said Millsap “exemplifies everything” he likes in a player. He made similar statements
about center Al Horford at this time last year before Horford signed with Boston.
In the offseason, the Hawks made a four-year, $70 million commitment to Bazemore and signed Howard to a three-year, $70.5 million deal. Howard averaged 8 points and 10.7 points in the playoffs. Bazemore averaged 9.8 and 3.8.
Howard did not play in the fourth quarter of the Hawks’ 11599 loss to Washington on Friday night, the second time in six playoff games he was benched for the fourth quarter. One day later, it was clear Howard was still upset.
“It was very difficult. I want to play,” Howard said. “I want to be on the floor. I want to make an impact. You can’t do it on the bench.”
Budenholzer said he planned to meet with Howard “within a week or two” to discuss the center’s concerns about his diminished role in the playoffs.
Howard’s hurt feelings did not make Budenholzer’s list of top three offseason priorities. Budenholzer said he’s focused on: the continued development of rookie small forward Taurean Prince and Dennis Schroder, who took over as the starting point guard; improving the offense; and re-signing Millsap and Tim Hardaway Jr., who is a restricted free agent.
Hardaway’s per-game average of 14.5 points was third on the team, and he led the Hawks in 3-pointers.