Tuesday, April 24, 2018

2018-19 Atlanta Hawks

2017-18: 24-58
Draft picks: (4-ish),19,30,33
Signed for next season ($70.4m): SF Kent Bazemore, PG Denis Shroeder, PF Miles Plumlee, C Dewayne Dedmon, SF Taurean Prince, C John Collins, PF Deandre Bembre, PG Isiah Taylor, SG Tyler Dorsey, PF Tyler Cavanaugh

This summer's free agents: Malcolm Delaney, Josh Magette, Antonius Cleveland, Andrew White, Damion Lee, Jaylen Morris,
White is on a 2-way contract. I assume they'll let the rest move on. Delaney played good minutes for them but they've already got good depth at PG and can probably skew younger/cheaper still.

They're in line for one of the top four available in this draft: Deandre Ayton (Arizona), Marvin Bagley (Duke), Michael Porter (Missouri), Luke Doncic (Slovenia). I think Porter is the best fit for them, although I can see Bagley slipping to them. Whichever one they end up with will shape the rest of their draft. If they get Porter, a ball handler, then they can look for scoring at #19 (or make it a family affair with Johntay Porter). But if they get Bagley, they should look for ball handling (perhaps the tantalizing Anfernee Simmons or hope that Shea Gilgeuous-Alexander slips). And how those first two picks go will determine what they'll be looking for at #30 and #33: wing scoring (Grayson Allen (Duke), another perimeter ball handler (Jalen Bruson (Villanova), or big man (Brandon McCoy (UNLV)). However it shakes out, they should end up with one of the top talents in the draft and a raft of low cost youngsters to throw in the rotation.

They should take a run at Demarcus Cousins, long term contract at top level money. For some teams interested in Cousins I would suggest bigger money for one year (a la what the Sixers gave JJ Reddick last summer), but for the Hawks I'd say lock him up, give him whatever he wants and hope he doesn't kill the culture or alienate the fan base or never fully heal. And if the injury lingers, let him take next year off, come back strong in 2019-20. Until then, muddle along giving time to Prince, Collins, Bembre and whoever emerges from this draft. I'd suggest keeping Shroeder for now but if they can get a 1st round pick for him, take it. Hold on to Bazemore, Plumlee and Dedmon as the veteran core to hold the space for Cousins and let the youngsters take over. Atlanta has some money to spend, they can lure in a big time name, but they're not sweepstakes-level for any of the marquee names out there. I can see them making a big play for Will Barton or Jabari Parker. I think Cousins is a great fit for them, they should make him priority #1.

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