Outlook of Hawks’ free agents

The good vibrations from a 47-win season and first-round playoff series win were undone by the four-game sweep against Cleveland in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

But it’s hard to dismiss all the Hawks accomplished in their best season of this century, so to speak.

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Kent D. Johnson/kdjohnson@ajc.com

Point guard Mike Bibby’s future with the Hawks depends on the price tag of a new contract.

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“I don’t think you do all that and rank as one of the top four teams in the Eastern Conference without being a pretty good team,” Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. “You have to tip your hat to the guys in our locker room because they made it happen. They made it happen.

“We all set goals, and sometimes goals are not always reached. But we were able to get it accomplished with all the people out there betting against us. And that speaks volumes for the guys in our locker room.”

What that locker room looks like going forward remains to be seen. With the June NBA draft and the start of the July free agency free-for-all still to come, it should be a while before things begin to take shape. Woodson is entering the final year of his contract, and only seven of 15 players are signed through next season.

A brief look back and peek ahead at the players on the Hawks’ roster:

FREE AGENTS

Mike Bibby, guard

• Vitals: 6-2, 195

• 2008-09 stats: 14.9 points, 5.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds

• Outlook: Bibby provided the Hawks exactly what they needed in his 130 games in uniform: leadership and shot-making that led to two playoff appearances after nearly a decade absence from the postseason. His future with the team depends on the price tag of a new contract.

Marvin Williams, forward

• Vitals: 6-9, 240

• 2008-09 stats: 13.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists

• Next season’s salary: $7.3 million (qualifying offer)

• Outlook: The only restricted free agent in the group, injuries (back and wrist) derailed what was a breakout season for Williams, who was arguably the Hawks’ most consistent player from late December to early March. Like Bibby, his immediate and long-term future with the team depends on how contract negotiations go this summer.

Flip Murray, guard

• Vitals: 6-3, 200

• 2008-09 stats: 12.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists

• Outlook: The Hawks rescued Murray from a year in Russia with a one-year deal, and he in turn rescued them from the Josh Childress debacle last summer. After a stellar season off the bench as sixth man, he’ll be looking for a little more security, with the Hawks or someone else.

Zaza Pachulia, center

• Vitals: 6-11, 270

• 2008-09 stats: 6.2 points, 5.7 rebounds

• Outlook: Pachulia’s four-year run with the Hawks began as a starter and ended with him serving as Horford’s primary backup. If he wants to continue in the latter, his representatives and the Hawks will have to negotiate a similar contract to the $16 million deal he signed in the summer of 2005.

Solomon Jones, forward/center

• Vitals: 6-10, 245

• 2008-09 stats: 3.0 points, 2.3 rebounds

• Outlook: Jones outlasted his classmate, 2006 first-round pick Shelden Williams, in the locker room at Philips Arena. He played well early in the season while Smith was injured, but his role decreased dramatically as the season wore on. That can’t bode well for his future with the team.

Othello Hunter, forward

• Vitals: 6-8, 230

• 2008-09 stats: 1.4 points, 1.5 rebounds

• Outlook: Perhaps the most impressive of the Hawks’ youngsters because of the strides he made from training camp to the end of the season, Hunter showed off a strong work ethic that earned him late-season and playoff minutes that could have gone to others.

Thomas Gardner, guard

• Vitals: 6-5, 225

• 2008-09 stats: 1.5 points, 0.4 rebounds

• Outlook: Gardner showed glimpses of his offensive potential when he played, but he played only 98 minutes. He never carved out a niche for himself in Woodson’s system and doesn’t seem likely to return.

Mario West, guard/forward

• Vitals: 6-5, 210

• 2008-09 stats: 1.1 rebounds, 0.8 points

• Outlook: West has defied the odds, making the team in each of the past two seasons in training camp. If the Hawks aren’t careful, some other team will snatch up the former Georgia Tech standout, who is an excellent situational defender but too much of a liability on offense to be much more right now.