BIG QUESTION FOR HAWKS: WILL BUDENHOLZER BE BACK?

As the Hawks head into the offseason and the focus shifts to the obvious topics — lucky ping-pong balls, potential draft picks and whether Dennis Schroeder can make it through the summer without handcuffs — there’s one subject that has the potential to dwarf all others: Is Mike Budenholzer coming back?

This isn’t about whether the Hawks should bring Budenholzer back. They should. He’s one of the game’s best coaches and he’s under contract. Critics harp on him constantly screaming at players — as if that should suddenly be verboten for a coach — but he develops players and maximizes talent.

Kent Bazemore had the proper perspective on Budenholzer and this whole he-yells-too-much thing: “We’re getting to the point where there’s a lot of sensitivity in the world and everyone thinks they need to be talked to or coached a certain way. He just wants the best for guys. I love when I get screamed at because it lets me know I’m not doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”

The real question regarding Budenholzer is whether he wants to come back. He gave somewhat evasive answers Wednesday. His non-committal responses were sandwiched between cheery phrases about how much he loved his job, his players, the city, his life. But this comes against the backdrop of rumors over the past few weeks that he’s more than mildly interested in the coaching vacancy in Milwaukee and that he might not be committed to sticking it out through the Hawks’ painful rebuild.

Budenholzer did a group interview Wednesday, the day after the Hawks closed their season with a loss to Philadelphia. Afterward, when I approached him alone for a few follow-up questions, it went like this:

Question: Can you address reports you’ve been working back channels to get insight on the Milwaukee job?

Answer: “Not true.” Question: Can you say with 100 percent certainty that you’ll be back as Hawks’ coach, assuming it’s up to you?

Answer: “I’m … literally the season just ended.”

Question: You are kind of not answering the question.

Answer: “Jeff, I’m not going there.”

Question: So there is a decision to be made?

Answer: “The season just ended. I literally just spent (several hours) with these guys (on exit interviews). I’ve been totally focused and totally devoted to this. I have genuinely enjoyed this, the city, everything. That’s where my mind is.”

I have no doubt Budenholzer was drained. He opted to stay with the Hawks as coach after he lost his title of team president and new general manager Travis Schlenk was given complete control of basketball operations. He did so because he loves coaching and, yes, he was being paid a lot to do so. Whether he feels the need to take a step back and breathe before processing his future is the question.

This could not have been an easy season for Budenholzer. The Hawks lost 58 games, their most in 12 seasons and the second-most in franchise history. Budenholzer hadn’t missed the playoffs since his first season as an assistant in San Antonio (1996-97).

But he said he found positives. He shared with the team collectively and players individually. Among them: The rise of rookie John Collins, the late-season improvement of Taurean Prince, the leadership of Bazemore, the overall effort of players amid difficult circumstances of a roster strip-down.

Budenholzer acknowledged the season was a challenge for him. But, “I definitely feel like I grew as a coach. It’s easy to talk about development or dayto-day process when you’re having success. Your beliefs are tested when you’re not having the tangible rewards of winning. It pushed me to be a better coach.”

Is that enough for him to want to stay? Because he’s under contract, he can’t just leave — or theoretically even talk to another team — without the team allowing it. The Hawks have a lottery pick, other draft picks and salary cap space to improve the roster. But they’re not as far along as the Bucks, who have the multi-talented Giannis Antetokounmpo to build around.

Schlenk is operating on the assumption Budenholzer is coming back because there has been nothing to lead him to believe otherwise. As for the rumors, Schlenk said: “I would just say: they’re rumors, to the best of my knowledge. Nobody has called me. But he’s a good coach. I could understand why other teams would have interest.”