Training Camp Central: 5 camp questions

[jayu70]

yup thats the one. With them having to pay AH this coming offseason, and then prob have to find youth at other positions, i am not sure what DS contract would look like. We can extend him correct? IF not, he plays out his rookie deal and then is UFA like John Jenkins ?

I dont see how we wouldnt pick up his option?

Hawks have to decide on the options for both DS and THJ fairly soon. Last year, it was late October (i.e. the start of the regular season). Both players are entering the final year of their rookie contracts. They each have a team option for 2016-17 and a qualifying option of for 2017-18.

DS is scheduled to reach RFA in summer 2017. Same summer Teague would likely become a Free Agent. Same summer Splitter could be a Free Agent. Same summer THJ reaches RFA. Same summer Millsap could opt-out if he chooses. It'll be an important off-season.

DS is by the far the highest profile player on that list and it's clear their speculation is focused on his reaching his full potential playing behind an All Star.

Essentially, Hawks are approaching the point where they have to make a decision on one of these guys as the future of the position. IMO, they should have made the decision this past summer and bundled a bunch of draft picks with one of them for more wing depth.

The good thing is the Hawks will have full Bird Rights to all our free agents so we shall see if new ownership allows Bud to go into luxury tax territory IF he wants to keep them all.
Honestly I think Teague gets traded and we keep Dennis. I was listening to Bob Rathbun on a radio show and he talked about Bud having to implore Teague but not so much with Dennis. He said Dennis just has that 'it' factor and wants it.
I'll see if I can find the link and post it.

[ATL Boy]

I think trading Teague needs to be an option. We would get a lot more in the return, and he'll be looking for near max dollars on his next extension.

[Jamaaliver]

I think trading Teague needs to be an option. We would get a lot more in the return, and he'll be looking for near max dollars on his next extension.

Bingo. This is where I stand. (And have for a while.)

But he's at max value NOW. As an ALL Star with 2 years left on a great contract.

If we wait until his final year...his value will still be good. But certainly less so than right now.

Teague and the 15th pick in 2015 draft (IMO) would have made a great bargaining chip in pursuit of a talented young wing player.

Teague looks really good this pre-season...and he's going to want top dollar for sure on this next contract. But it's difficult to justify $16+ million to him when we'll have control of Dennis for a fraction of that cost and similar production.

[jayu70]

I think trading Teague needs to be an option. We would get a lot more in the return, and he'll be looking for near max dollars on his next extension.

Bingo. This is where I stand. (And have for a while.)

Teague and the 15th pick in 2015 draft (IMO) would have made a great bargaining chip in pursuit of a talented young wing player.

Which talented young wing player should we have targeted. It would've had to be a team in need of a PG.

[jayu70]

Bob Rathbun talks about the Hawks.

http://www.kozandbrushow.com/featured/season-preview-play-by-play-man-bob-rathbun-says-dont-count-out-the-hawks/

[Jamaaliver]

I think trading Teague needs to be an option. We would get a lot more in the return, and he'll be looking for near max dollars on his next extension.

Bingo. This is where I stand. (And have for a while.)

Teague and the 15th pick in 2015 draft (IMO) would have made a great bargaining chip in pursuit of a talented young wing player.

Which talented young wing player should we have targeted. It would've had to be a team in need of a PG.

This is a really good question. The list of teams in need of a veteran, All Star PG in his prime is indeed a short one. But there were some promising possibilities a few months back:

• Sacramento is desperate to get into the playoff push. They recently trade Nik Staukas and a bunch of modestly protected draft picks in a salary dump so they could take a run at the corpse of Rajon Rondo and the one-legged remains of Wes Matthews. They gave up quite a bit and ended up only with Rondo on a one year deal (plus a few other minor pieces.) I'd have traded Teague and #15 but insisted on their #6 pick, Nik Staukas and the future swaps they gave to Philly...but allowed them to dump as much salary on us they wanted. That's 2 lottery picks plus manageable tradable contracts like Landry and Thompson.
  
• Houston was looking for a vet PG to alleviate pressure on Harden and get easy buckets for the rest of the team. They don't have a plethora of young wing players for us to poach, but young PFs like Clint Capela, Terrance Jones and/or Donatas Motiejunas could have been worthy trade targets. Teague would help put that team over the top in pursuit of a championship.
  
• Dallas has been trying to rejoin the ranks of elite for a few years now. They banked last season on Jameer Nelson. Then moved him for Rondo. Saw that explode in their faces and are now hoping Deron Williams is able to recapture some of his old magic. Teague is better than any of those options. And Parsons + Devin Harris would be a decent place to begin negotiations.
  
• Minnesota has all the young talent a franchise could ever want...but need a vet floor general to mold the young pups into winners. Teague + Mike Scott for Gorgui Dieng, Zach Levine, Rubio (and likely Pek as a salary dump) seems like fair value. Minny gets a veteran backcourt to guide Wiggins and KAT through their early years. We get young pieces to mold and a Center/PG on modest contracts to include I future trades.
  
• Milwaukee has three great young swing players to lean on in the immediate future. but need jump shooting and a heady PG to help coalesce that squad. Teague for one of Jabari, Giannis or Khris Middleton (+ John Henson) is where I'd start that bidding. Kidd could help Teague become the best PG in the East. We get a young stud who (with out player development) might hopefully become our version of Kawhi. From what I hear, MIL is not completely sold on Michael Carter-Williams being the future at PG on that team.

[jayu70]

Bingo. This is where I stand. (And have for a while.)

Teague and the 15th pick in 2015 draft (IMO) would have made a great bargaining chip in pursuit of a talented young wing player.

Which talented young wing player should we have targeted. It would've had to be a team in need of a PG.

This is a really good question. The list of teams in need of a veteran, All Star PG in his prime is indeed a short one. But there were some promising possibilities a few months back:

• Sacramento is desperate to get into the playoff push. They recently trade Nik Staukas and a bunch of modestly protected draft picks in a salary dump so they could take a run at the corpse of Rajon Rondo and the one-legged remains of Wes Matthews. They gave up quite a bit and ended up only with Rondo on a one year deal (plus a few other minor pieces.) I'd have traded Teague and #15 but insisted on their #6 pick, Nik Staukas and the future swaps they gave to Philly...but allowed them to dump as much salary on us they wanted. That's 2 lottery picks plus manageable tradable contracts like Landry and Thompson.
  
• Houston was looking for a vet PG to alleviate pressure on Harden and get easy buckets for the rest of the team. They don't have a plethora of young wing players for us to poach, but young PFs like Clint Capela, Terrance Jones and/or Donatas Motiejunas could have been worthy trade targets. Teague would help put that team over the top in pursuit of a championship.
  
• Dallas has been trying to rejoin the ranks of elite for a few years now. They banked last season on Jameer Nelson. Then moved him for Rondo. Saw that explode in their faces and are now hoping Deron Williams is able to recapture some of his old magic. Teague is better than any of those options. And Parsons + Devin Harris would be a decent place to begin negotiations.
  
• Minnesota has all the young talent a franchise could ever want...but need a vet floor general to mold the young pups into winners. Teague + Mike Scott for Gorgui Dieng, Zach Levine, Rubio (and likely Pek as a salary dump) seems like fair value. Minny gets a veteran backcourt to guide Wiggins and KAT through their early years. We get young pieces to mold and a Center/PG on modest contracts to include I future trades.
  
• Milwaukee has three great young swing players to lean on in the immediate future. but need jump shooting and a heady PG to help coalesce that squad. Teague for one of Jabari, Giannis or Khris Middleton (+ John Henson) is where I'd start that bidding. Kidd could help Teague become the best PG in the East. We get a young stud who (with out player development) might hopefully become our version of Kawhi. From what I hear, MIL is not completely sold on Michael Carter-Williams being the future at PG on that team.

1. Sacramento - if the guy they wanted was available at #6,
2. Houston - that only helps Houston. We lose our PG strength to get more PF's we don't need
3. Dallas - Devin stays injured. Parson's micorfracture surgery scares me.
4. Minny - Rubio and Pek alone is making $24.8 million combined this season (and they both stay injured). Scott and Teague combined makes less that half at $11.3 million. Not possible.
5. The Milwaukee trade interests me. I just don't see the Bucks trading them.

[Jamaaliver]

Nice snippet from the writers over at HawksHoop:

The Hawks entered the game ranked second in the preseason in defensive rebounding, a category the team finished 22nd in last season...[they] continue to ignore offensive rebounding opportunities, preferring to get back on defense and prevent high-percentage transition attempts. HawksHoop contributor Kacy Sager brought up defensive rebounding during Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer’s postgame media availability and he made it clear that this has been a point of emphasis for the Hawks:


That’s something we’ve put a lot of time, effort and focus on in the preseason, in practice, in film sessions. We feel like we can be a good defensive rebounding team. Where exactly we fall, who knows? I think the second half they had a bunch of offensive rebounds. They maybe had one at halftime. So, it’s something we’re conscious of and we’re working hard to be good on the defensive boards.

As bad of a rebounding team as we have been for years now, it's nice to see the HC and Pres of BBall Operations openly acknowledge the issue and state that the team is taking pains to correct it. We were dominated in the paint during the playoffs.

For the first time since Mutombo roamed the lane, that may not be an issue.