The Atlanta Hawks won't have long to dwell on their sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals with free agency looming. Several key players, including all-star forward Paul Millsap, are set to become unrestricted free agents. That means Atlanta has a lot of work ahead to prepare the roster for next season.
Paul Millsap, DeMarre Carroll head to free agency after Hawks’ elimination
Atlanta’s free agents will have no shortage of suitors this summer.
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Atlanta wants to re-sign Millsap and starting small forward DeMarre Carroll, but that won't stop the players from seeing what else is out there. Millsap spoke about his future following the Hawks' Game 4 loss Tuesday night, and didn't seem ready to commit to anything yet.
"I think looking at different options, looking at this team, looking at what we’ve built thus far, in weight my options I can’t make a decision right now," Millsap said. "It’s been a long series, a long year, for me and the team. Let things die down, cool off, relax and think about it a little bit. We are a family. This team is close. It will play a lot into the decision."
Millsap, who signed a two-year, $19 million deal with Atlanta in 2013, is likely going to receive a substantial raise this summer. He'll be in high demand and could fit on a wide variety of teams, given his skills. Hawks point guard Jeff Teague said he wanted to see his teammates return.
"I enjoyed every moment playing with him," Teague said of Millsap. "He made me a better player. I think he enjoyed being around all the guys, him and (fellow unrestricted free agent) DeMarre (Carroll). I’m looking forward for them to be back and take another crack at it."
Carroll is the other big free agent for Atlanta entering the summer, and he’s also set to receive a sizable contract after his breakout season. One report says he could command as much as $12 million annually after a postseason that saw him average nearly 15 points and six rebounds per game. The forward doesn’t sound like he’ll make money his top priority, however, based on some recent comments he made to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“I’ve been getting a million calls and emails about me, why am I there, this might be the biggest contract of my life,” Carroll said. “But at the end of the day this game isn’t promised to you. So whenever you’ve got an opportunity to play basketball, a lot of people say it’s bigger than money and it feels like that to me.”
Both Millsap and Carroll will get big money this summer no matter what, even if it doesn't come from the Hawks. The franchise seems interested in trying to keep the band together for another run, though, and we'll see just how much they're willing to spend to make that happen. Otherwise, they'll have to reload around the core of Teague, Al Horford and Kyle Korver.
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