DeMarre Carroll has a succinct take on the Hawks’ roster with the NBA trade deadline hours away.
“We are one of the top teams,” Carroll said Wednesday. “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?”
The trade deadline is 3 p.m. Thursday and the Eastern Conference-leading Hawks may stand pat for the stretch run. The Hawks are 43-11 and lead the Raptors, Friday’s opponent in the first game after the All-Star break, by 6 1/2 games. The team made a roster move last week by trading rookie Adreian Payne to the Timberwolves.
That may well be it.
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said he does not expect another move, but that the team is always listening to offers.
“I think we feel great about our group,” the coach and acting general manager said. “We like a lot of things that have been improving and getting better. Like we’ve said a few times over the last few days, the organization has a mindset every day of trying to get better and improve. So you have to be open and listen, but I would not say we are anticipating anything.”
The Hawks traded Payne, the No. 15 overall pick, for a future protected first-round pick (picks 1-14) from 2017-20. The move gave the team some flexibility:
- Before the Payne deal, the Hawks had the maximum 15 players under guaranteed contracts. They opened a roster spot, allowing a deadline move if desired.
- The deal opened up about $2 million in salary-cap space that could be used to acquire a player now or next summer when starters Paul Millsap and Carroll are unrestricted free agents.
- The Hawks can swap first-round draft picks with the Nets and may get a lottery pick. In a draft that is heavy with talented big men, the Hawks have the flexibility to take one if available.
- The Hawks will have 10 players under guaranteed contracts this summer. Payne would have made 11 for a player who could not get on the court, given the Hawks' already stacked frontcourt. He likely would have been stuck behind Al Horford, Mike Muscala and Pero Antic.
- The trade still gives the Hawks a first-round pick down the line.
Disrupting the chemistry of a team that has played well above expectations this season, including a franchise-record 19-game win streak, is a concern, Budenholzer previously said.
The Hawks have spoken to a representative for Ray Allen. The free agent has not decided whether he will play this season. If he does decide to play, the Hawks have a open roster spot.
“This is a group that we feel strongly about and we would feel good about going forward,” Budenholzer said. “If we continue to get better and work on a lot of things, the attention to detail, that activity, the competitiveness, if we do those things, all the other things will fall into place.”
John Jenkins is a trade piece. The Hawks did not pick up the team option on the little-used shooting guard. He will become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. If they Hawks can find a trade partner, they could acquire a draft pick, giving them something in return for a former first-round pick.
The Hawks are without Thabo Sefolosha, who suffered a strained calf and was projected to miss 6-8 weeks. He likely will return for the final weeks of the season and return the Hawks to full strength at the wing position.
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