The case AGAINST keeping Millsap

[Jamaaliver]

[If Blake Griffin re-signs with LAC, as expected,] that would make Paul Millsap the crown jewel of potential power forward free agents. Reports have indicated he might look to greener pastures.

If he opts out, the Hawks will certainly look to retain the talents of Millsap alongside the lengthy deals of Dennis Schröder, Kent Bazemore and Dwight Howard. Millsap is a defensively stout power forward that contributes in all major statistical categories, averaging 3.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 1 block and 1 three-pointer per game this season. At 32, this may be Millsap’s final opportunity to lock down a major deal with a contender, so if he reaches unrestricted free agency, the do-it-all big man will be a much-desired commodity in July.

Basketball Insiders


Nothing Earth-shattering here.

[Jamaaliver]

You might want to sit down for this one Jamaal:
http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/244530/Magic-Tried-To-Trade-For-Paul-Millsap-Before-Doing-Serge-Ibaka-Deal

Word is Orlando still is likely to pursue Millsap and other Hawks veterans this summer:

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It appears several Hawks players – free agents to be – are possible targets for the Magic this summer.

Paul Millsap, Thabo Sefolosha, Ersan Ilyasova and Mike Muscala could get inquiries, according to a story in the Orlando Sentinel based on the inadvertent display of the team’s possible offseason options in a photo posted on Twitter

Millsap’s name is at the top of the Hybrid Free Agency column. Millsap will likely opt out of the player option of his contract this summer and become an unrestricted free agent. The Magic aggressively pursued Millsap two years ago when he was a free agent before he re-upped with the Hawks.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Magic General Manager Rob Hennigan told the paper the lists are “not indicative of plans” and were “simply listing options, including some of which other teams have inquired about.”

myAJC


Not sure Orlando is still an attractive landing spot for veterans seeking contention and a huge payday.

But ultimately, there has been a market for this guy for the past couple of years. A market we've refused to take advantage of.

[Jamaaliver]

From an article over at Basketball Insiders:

Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks

Another potential free agent that should seriously consider going elsewhere is Paul Millsap. Millsap’s name came up around the trade deadline but the Hawks decided to hang on to him. Atlanta is in the dreaded no man’s land. A middle of the pack team that is not good enough to do anything in the playoffs, but not bad enough to take advantage of a top lottery pick.

Millsap, however, has been having one of the better seasons of his career. His 18.1 points per game and 3.8 assists per game are career highs. He was named to the All-Star team for the fourth consecutive year. He’s ready to win now as he’s in the last years of his prime. It’s just not clear whether he can do that in Atlanta.

Millsap has a player option this summer...At 32 years old, this is probably his last shot at securing a big, long term contract. And it’s obvious that he still has quite a bit of game left, his recent injury notwithstanding. He may end up re-signing in Atlanta, where he would continue to be the team’s best player and focal point of the offense. He owes it to himself though to test the market and see if there is a better opportunity for him than Atlanta can offer.

[tbhawksfan1]

Sap's going to come to the same conclusion as Horf, this team is going nowhere and isn't a good place for a second tier star to win.

Schro and DH as our best players next season.... a match made in Hawksland

[Jamaaliver]

Leadership. This is probably the aspect we'll miss most about Millsap should he choose to leave:

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Bleacher Report lists Millsap as the 3rd (technically 4th) best PF in the league this year:

4. Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks

Age: 32

Per-Game Stats: 18.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.9 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 18.0 PER, 4.58 RPM, 123.54 TPA


Paul Millsap means everything to the Atlanta Hawks.

On offense, he serves as the steadying force because of his versatile play. Whether he's spacing the floor, operating from the post, distributing the ball to his teammates or functioning as a decoy, he can contribute positively—especially important as Dennis Schroder continues adjusting in his first season as the unquestioned starting point guard.

And he fills a similar role on defense.

Millsap can protect the hoop and serve as the last line of defense. He can body up against players in the post. He can make use of his mobility and switch onto wings and guards for short bursts, enabling the Hawks to continue clogging up passing lanes and forcing opponents into disadvantageous situations. Fortunately, the numbers reflect this two-way impact.

Per NBA Math, the Hawks play like a 44.2-win team when the starting 4 is on the floor. When he's not? That number shrinks to 29.2.

[Jamaaliver]

NBA Devil's Advocacy: The Argument for Top 10 Free Agents Bolting This Summer

Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks

FA Type: Player Option

Age: 32

2016-17 Salary: $20,072,033

If Paul Millsap is fine with being in the unwatched NBATV first-round series every year and having nothing close to a championship ceiling in the final seasons of his already unusually long prime, he should stay.

If he's cool with Dennis Schroder, entrenched as the starting point guard, playing exclusively in fifth gear, posting a lower Defensive Real Plus-Minus than backups Malcolm Delaney and Jose Calderon, and producing a negative on-court net rating, he should stay.

If he wants to gamble on a second consecutive season of Dwight Howard not fouling up his own locker room and ruining the chemistry of his fourth straight team, he should stay.

But if Millsap wants to win big and/or get maxed out in the process, he should go.

That anomalous 60-win season feels like it happened 100 years ago, not in 2014-15. And all the other principals from that improbable run are gone. It's time for him to complete the exodus.

Imagine what he could do alongside Nikola Jokic in Denver or Karl-Anthony Towns in Minnesota. His presence on either of those already improving rosters could vault the Nuggets or Wolves into the top four of a shifting Western Conference, and both have the flexibility to sign him.

Bleacher Report



It's really difficult to see much reason for him to stay...except the money.

[simon24]

NBA Devil's Advocacy: The Argument for Top 10 Free Agents Bolting This Summer

Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks

FA Type: Player Option

Age: 32

2016-17 Salary: $20,072,033

If Paul Millsap is fine with being in the unwatched NBATV first-round series every year and having nothing close to a championship ceiling in the final seasons of his already unusually long prime, he should stay.

If he's cool with Dennis Schroder, entrenched as the starting point guard, playing exclusively in fifth gear, posting a lower Defensive Real Plus-Minus than backups Malcolm Delaney and Jose Calderon, and producing a negative on-court net rating, he should stay.

If he wants to gamble on a second consecutive season of Dwight Howard not fouling up his own locker room and ruining the chemistry of his fourth straight team, he should stay.

But if Millsap wants to win big and/or get maxed out in the process, he should go.

That anomalous 60-win season feels like it happened 100 years ago, not in 2014-15. And all the other principals from that improbable run are gone. It's time for him to complete the exodus.

Imagine what he could do alongside Nikola Jokic in Denver or Karl-Anthony Towns in Minnesota. His presence on either of those already improving rosters could vault the Nuggets or Wolves into the top four of a shifting Western Conference, and both have the flexibility to sign him.

Bleacher Report



It's really difficult to see much reason for him to stay...except the money.

That's if ATL wants to pay him. ATL didn't want to give Horford the max starting at 26 mil and he's 2 years younger than Millsap.

Millsap's max starts at 30+ mil. I'm not sure if ATL would match a huge deal offer by a team like Denver who could give him the money he wants while their best players (Murray, Harris, Jokic) are still on rookie contracts.

[tbhawksfan1]

If ever a playoff team needed a reset.....

Big FA signings DH and Baze: minutes limited and ineffective when played

Best player Sap: probably wants out and isn't going to make a difference so why pay

Young guys Shro, Prince and Bembry: Avg starters at best?

Draft assets: minimal for the team's talent level

GMing: pathethic, the team has been bleeding assets and just making bad investments

Coach: ?, his GM gave him pieces that don't work in his system.

[76ciology]

Keep Sap. Worst case trade him for cap space and some petty future 1st.

[Jamaaliver]

Keep Sap. Worst case trade him for cap space and some petty future 1st.

This is solid advice, but I do wonder how easy it will be trade a 34 year old with knee issues making $30+ million a year.

We overpaid Bazemore last summer and his contract will likely be an albatross for the next 3 years...preventing us from pursuing other free agents of greater value.

Adding a near max contract for Millsap largely keeps us out of the Free Agent market for years to come.

[76ciology]

Keep Sap. Worst case trade him for cap space and some petty future 1st.

This is solid advice, but I do wonder how easy it will be trade a 34 year old with knee issues making $30+ million a year.

We overpaid Bazemore last summer and his contract will likely be an albatross for the next 3 years...preventing us from pursuing other free agents of greater value.

Adding a near max contract for Millsap largely keeps us out of the Free Agent market for years to come.

Cap is increasing. Play off teams will have $$ to not worry about Milsap as long as he gives them a big push in the playoffs. Remember, good teams can afford to limit his usage to prolong his longevity. A lot of mediocre play-off caliber teams like Wiz or Raps that should be interested in getting him for cap space and future first.

Its tough to steal big time FA nowadays anyway. And I always believe in going for big payoffs for it minimizes regret. That said, I'd sign Milsap. Maybe then trade him for cap space and 1st eventually. Then end up with a 1st and big cap space at some point. Rather than letting him go and risk not getting anything.

[tbhawksfan1]

Keep Sap. Worst case trade him for cap space and some petty future 1st.

This is solid advice, but I do wonder how easy it will be trade a 34 year old with knee issues making $30+ million a year.

We overpaid Bazemore last summer and his contract will likely be an albatross for the next 3 years...preventing us from pursuing other free agents of greater value.

Adding a near max contract for Millsap largely keeps us out of the Free Agent market for years to come.

Cap is increasing. Play off teams will have $$ to not worry about Milsap as long as he gives them a big push in the playoffs. Remember, good teams can afford to limit his usage to prolong his longevity. A lot of mediocre play-off caliber teams like Wiz or Raps that should be interested in getting him for cap space and future first.

Its tough to steal big time FA nowadays anyway. And I always believe in going for big payoffs for it minimizes regret. That said, I'd sign Milsap. Maybe then trade him for cap space and 1st eventually. Then end up with a 1st and big cap space at some point. Rather than letting him go and risk not getting anything.

If they had had the sheer brilliance to do that before he expired, it would have been a great idea. You guys sign him, we need to go another direction

[jayu70]

Keep Sap. Worst case trade him for cap space and some petty future 1st.

This is solid advice, but I do wonder how easy it will be trade a 34 year old with knee issues making $30+ million a year.

We overpaid Bazemore last summer and his contract will likely be an albatross for the next 3 years...preventing us from pursuing other free agents of greater value.

Adding a near max contract for Millsap largely keeps us out of the Free Agent market for years to come.

Cap is increasing. Play off teams will have $$ to not worry about Milsap as long as he gives them a big push in the playoffs. Remember, good teams can afford to limit his usage to prolong his longevity. A lot of mediocre play-off caliber teams like Wiz or Raps that should be interested in getting him for cap space and future first.

Its tough to steal big time FA nowadays anyway. And I always believe in going for big payoffs for it minimizes regret. That said, I'd sign Milsap. Maybe then trade him for cap space and 1st eventually. Then end up with a 1st and big cap space at some point. Rather than letting him go and risk not getting anything.

Cap goes to $102 million this offseason, after that the expected rise is $104 million. The cap explosion has tapered.

[Jamaaliver]

Bleacher Report attempts to predict what top free agents will do this summer:

Paul Millsap, Hawks Decide They Belong Together

Paul Millsap has found a home with the Atlanta Hawks. He's been an All-Star in each of his four seasons there, outlasting former franchise stalwarts Al Horford and Jeff Teague along the way.

Millsap will opt out of his contract this summer, though his affinity for the ATL could bring him back. The Hawks can offer him more money over more years than any other team, and without quite so many franchises hoarding cap space as last summer, the 32-year-old may have a tough time finding anything better elsewhere.

That's not to say Atlanta will jump at the chance to bring him back. But would Atlanta risk its decade-long playoff streak, in a football market, to save some scratch?

Chances are the Hawks and Millsap will see the value in staying together, even if championship contention remains a pipe dream.

—B/R's Josh Martin

HERE

Not much insight here. Just pure speculation. (Which can be useful from an outsider's perspective.)

[tbhawksfan1]

"even if championship contention remains a pipe dream."

exactly! Sign him to a huge, cap destroying deal and he DH and Baze are our core for the next 2, 3 years....

[Jamaaliver]

This time, Hawks owner (and final decision-maker) publicly vowing to keep Millsap no matter what it takes. He's definitely doing an about face from how they approached Horford's Free Agency. I think this may be an over correction, though.

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[tbhawksfan1]

Sap is great, buy his next deal shouldn't be with a non-contender

[Jamaaliver]

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[DusterBuster]

What in the world does "Looking to expand this" mean?

[Jamaaliver]

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