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Hawks owner Tony Ressler on keeping young talent, the luxury tax and title aspirations



Tony Ressler spoke with the media Tuesday afternoon for his end-of-season news conference about a wide array of topics — from roster building to expectations to winning a championship.

It’s certainly not a bad problem to have numerous talented young players whom you’d like to keep moving forward, but there’s the salary cap that is the issue. The Hawks will likely be an over-the-cap team for the foreseeable future because of all the rookie scale contracts expiring soon, which means large contracts are going to fill out the roster. Now Atlanta could re-sign all of its draft picks and go into the tax, but the front office has to decide who is and isn’t worth keeping long term.

“It’s complicated, of course, because what we’re trying to convince people is we’re building something, but let’s not kid ourselves, our job is to run a good business,” Ressler said. “What we are trying to achieve is literally keeping our best players, as you could imagine, trying to make clear that we’re going to have to spend a lot more than we have this season. We fully expect that. I’m not sure we’re going to be able to keep every single player that we want to keep. Pretty good bet, pretty good assumption we will not. But I do think we have several years that we should be able to build some real stability."

The Athletic

Reading between the lines with Ressler’s comments, there seems to be a level where he is comfortable matching and hesitancy if it goes above that threshold.

“Not every player should have a max contract, and great players should and will,” Ressler said. “I still make the argument that you could send two very clear messages, which is we do not expect to be financially constrained and, not or, we fully expect to be reasonably smart in our approach to running the business. If that means we’re committed to fair contracts, please accept me in that category. We are not committed to bad contracts."

-The Athletic

Bogdanovic also noted that keeping a growing core together won’t be easy.

“It’s going to be so hard to keep all of these guys here,” Bogdanovic told The Athletic. “I remember being back in Europe reading about what Draymond Green said about Golden State with how it’s going to be hard to keep [his] group together. I feel like something like that here. It’s going to be challenging for this group because there are so many talents and great players. The challenge is to enjoy it while we can.”

The Athletic

That leaves John Collins as the odd man out. He has improved a lot in his four seasons in the NBA, but he doesn’t fit as well with the rest of the young core. [Collins] will be a restricted free agent this offseason, and has reportedly already turned down a near–max offer from the Hawks. He’s still only 23 and could develop into a player who fits more comfortably within their system.

But they can’t pay everyone. He’s the one they can most afford to lose over the long term.

The Ringer

Here is a solution extend Collins this year and offer Trae Max during the season it wont start until 22 when Gallo, Bogie and Capella contract end offer Huerter 15 mil a year then no decision on Hunter and Reddish until 23. But in the meantime let these young studs play and prove who is the best.

The hope is to extend Collins and hope he develops similar value Siakam seemingly has while being overpaid. I don't think we can pay him more than the Jaylen Brown deal to get the value back.

If you don't bring Collins back and let him walk, it becomes the same situation as PBO-Bud where we are more attached to the "now" then thinking about the long-term. Losing players for nothing is just a dumb business move.

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dms269 wrote:If you don't bring Collins back and let him walk, it becomes the same situation as PBO-Bud where we are more attached to the "now" then thinking about the long-term. Losing players for nothing is just a dumb business move.

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Best case scenario would be keeping him at a number the club and player find agreeable.

Next best scenario would be some sort of sign and trade

I agree with you that you can not let him go for nothing. That is the worst case scenario. I like John a lot. I see a real team first guy in John. I just do not know what is a fair deal for him. I might make a list of the top forwards in the league and see where he fits in that list. Then figure the most that can be offered based on his place in that list. I think he played unselfishly so I do want to see him stay.

Jamaaliver wrote:

Hawks owner Tony Ressler on keeping young talent, the luxury tax and title aspirations



Tony Ressler spoke with the media Tuesday afternoon for his end-of-season news conference about a wide array of topics — from roster building to expectations to winning a championship.

It’s certainly not a bad problem to have numerous talented young players whom you’d like to keep moving forward, but there’s the salary cap that is the issue. The Hawks will likely be an over-the-cap team for the foreseeable future because of all the rookie scale contracts expiring soon, which means large contracts are going to fill out the roster. Now Atlanta could re-sign all of its draft picks and go into the tax, but the front office has to decide who is and isn’t worth keeping long term.

“It’s complicated, of course, because what we’re trying to convince people is we’re building something, but let’s not kid ourselves, our job is to run a good business,” Ressler said. “What we are trying to achieve is literally keeping our best players, as you could imagine, trying to make clear that we’re going to have to spend a lot more than we have this season. We fully expect that. I’m not sure we’re going to be able to keep every single player that we want to keep. Pretty good bet, pretty good assumption we will not. But I do think we have several years that we should be able to build some real stability."

The Athletic

I use to be like you in the past. Now, you beat me to posting everything. Ha

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As this quote slowly makes the rounds in national media, I honestly can't tell if this was a calculated move to state it publicly...or an unforced error. Are they telegraphing to the league that our young pieces can be acquired in trade?

dms269 wrote:If you don't bring Collins back and let him walk, it becomes the same situation as PBO-Bud where we are more attached to the "now" then thinking about the long-term. Losing players for nothing is just a dumb business move.

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This is what concerns me.
Allowing talent the caliber to walk for nothing will be concerning.


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The Hawks haven’t missed on a draft pick in years, but they won’t be able to afford to pay every one. John Collins is set to become a restricted free agent and might be too expensive to keep in a down market if a suitor ponies up. That wouldn’t be the worst thing for Atlanta, which is better suited to play just one big (Clint Capela or Onyeka Okongwu) next to its talented cast of wings. If Collins walks, the Hawks could backfill through the draft, where GM Travis Schlenk has proven more than adept. Okongwu’s strong showing in the postseason likely made Collins expendable, allowing the Hawks to spend their cap room elsewhere.

The Ringer

Hmmmm

Not sure I buy this rumor.

Top trade candidates on each NBA team

Atlanta Hawks: John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanovic



Following the four-year, $95 million extension with forward De’Andre Hunter, rival NBA executives believe Atlanta will likely have to part with either forward John Collins, swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic, or center Clint Capela to avoid looming luxury tax concerns next season.

With former sixth overall pick Onyeka Okongwu waiting in the wings, executives seeking frontcourt upgrades are monitoring the trade availability of Collins and Capela.

Of the three players listed, Bogdanovic is the most available, according to rival executives. Bogdanovic is owed $18 million this season and has an $18 million player option for the 2023-24 season.

Hoopshype

Jamaaliver wrote:Not sure I buy this rumor.

Top trade candidates on each NBA team

Atlanta Hawks: John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanovic



Following the four-year, $95 million extension with forward De’Andre Hunter, rival NBA executives believe Atlanta will likely have to part with either forward John Collins, swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic, or center Clint Capela to avoid looming luxury tax concerns next season.

With former sixth overall pick Onyeka Okongwu waiting in the wings, executives seeking frontcourt upgrades are monitoring the trade availability of Collins and Capela.

Of the three players listed, Bogdanovic is the most available, according to rival executives. Bogdanovic is owed $18 million this season and has an $18 million player option for the 2023-24 season.

Hoopshype

I have maintained that the Bogi surgery/injury prevented the Hawks from moving him n lieu of Huerter because teams were more than likely requesting an asset to move him.

Hawks will forever be on the outside looking in if they keep making moves to avoid the Luxury Tax.

Jamaaliver wrote:Not sure I buy this rumor.

Top trade candidates on each NBA team

Atlanta Hawks: John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanovic



Following the four-year, $95 million extension with forward De’Andre Hunter, rival NBA executives believe Atlanta will likely have to part with either forward John Collins, swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic, or center Clint Capela to avoid looming luxury tax concerns next season.

With former sixth overall pick Onyeka Okongwu waiting in the wings, executives seeking frontcourt upgrades are monitoring the trade availability of Collins and Capela.

Of the three players listed, Bogdanovic is the most available, according to rival executives. Bogdanovic is owed $18 million this season and has an $18 million player option for the 2023-24 season.

Hoopshype

I don't believe Clint Capela gets moved unless we receive an offer we can't refuse.

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Don't you all think funny that all media are talking about trade rumors for ATL, as if this team was with a loosing record!?
I don't see it for the other winning teams?

Jamaaliver wrote:Not sure I buy this rumor.

I won't too, how can we think to trade first the only real shooter with experience we have?

jayu70 wrote:I have maintained that the Bogi surgery/injury prevented the Hawks from moving him n lieu of Huerter because teams were more than likely requesting an asset to move him.
Hawks will forever be on the outside looking in if they keep making moves to avoid the Luxury Tax.

Exactly, we were not forced to trade Huerter, especially knowing that it would take some time for Bogi to come back

HMFFL wrote:I don't believe Clint Capela gets moved unless we receive an offer we can't refuse.

It seems we are really good with Capela against some teams, but really bad against other, and it start to make me even more thinking of trading him for Turner.
At least, we would only have one C not shooting 3s, but still who can defend.

I'm also starting to think I was a bit right after the last playoffs when I said the series Vs MIA would lead to overthinking the problem, because MIA was able to stop Trae not just because they could, but because Trae could not play his game since Clint and John were injured, something that got totally ignored.
We got Murray, but we lost the defense of Wright which was good even if not the same level than Murray. We lost Huerter and we lost the shooting of Gallo.
At least, it forces Nate to play the young guys

But this roster with Trae and Murray still has a chance to work, but not with this coach.
He's not able to make them play correctly, and not able to see when we have a better matchup with Capela, or one with Okongwu.
It just happens to work when we are better with Capela because he gets more minutes, but three quarters show the opposite, he still finishes the game with Capela.

jayu70 wrote:Until Ressler stops downgrading the on court talent to avoid the tax, the Hawks will be in a forever Neverending cycle of not being good enough.

I'm not sure I agree with this take.

I do not like Tony Ressler. But he has agreed to pay every player as they've come up for extension. John Collins, Kevin Huerter, Trae Young, DeAndre Hunter, Okongwu, Capela, Bogdanovic, Dejounte. No one has walked away because we refused to re-sign them.

Even now, he's paying Quin, Nate and Travis -- despite only one guy still working here.

I suspect the issue is that we haven't improved enough to warrant going into the tax. Something I actually agree with...Especially with the new implications of hitting the 2nd apron of the luxury tax.

Jamaaliver wrote:

jayu70 wrote:Until Ressler stops downgrading the on court talent to avoid the tax, the Hawks will be in a forever Neverending cycle of not being good enough.

I'm not sure I agree with this take.

I do not like Tony Ressler. But he has agreed to pay every player as they've come up for extension. John Collins, Kevin Huerter, Trae Young, DeAndre Hunter, Okongwu, Capela, Bogdanovic, Dejounte. No one has walked away because we refused to re-sign them.

Even now, he's paying Quin, Nate and Travis -- despite only one guy still working here.

I suspect the issue is that we haven't improved enough to warrant going into the tax. Something I actually agree with...Especially with the new implications of hitting the 2nd apron of the luxury tax.

Paying the players off their rookie extension - sure. Then what? They get moved to get under the Luxury Tax. Doing just enough for the fan base to think it's meaningful.
Brings in an Allstar (Murray) then make a move to cut salary (Huerter), then not offer Delon a contract. On court talent downgrade. Same with JC, pure salary dump with a $25 mil TPE just sitting. It's a repeating cycle.
I get the 'not going in the Tax not being a contender' but at some point 'Talent on the court' that's real NBA depth matters. But at some point you need to build it up and stop switching pieces.