Travis Schlenk trying to build Hawks in Warrior’s image (aka 2018 offseason thread)

[Jamaaliver]

Our goal is still to be competitive. Being competitive and maintaining our flexibility, that’s still where we are. We are not in a rebuild phase.

June 2017




Ummmm......last summer was definitely a series of contradicting public statements.

Read on Twitter

[Jamaaliver]

A noteworthy quote from Travis.

He states there is a 5-year plan and his desire to build completely through the draft.

Read on Twitter

[Jamaaliver]

^If that's our timeline, I think Bazemore, Dennis and Taurean are gonna be shopped heavily over the next 14 months.

[Robo_Claw]

A noteworthy quote from Travis.

He states there is a 5-year plan and his desire to build completely through the draft.

Read on Twitter

I like that plan, good things take time. We don't want to halfass a rebuild and end up like Orlando. However there is something I can't explain that makes me not like him for some reason.

[Joe Kleazy]

Hello all, I wanted to pose a quick question of the fans perspective. This will be the first time posting on any other teams page so even if this has been asked, please forgive this occurrence.

So I recently read that your team has quite a few draft picks coming up in this year and also in upcoming years. Today I read the post above about your GM stating the possible need to take a step back to get better & the potential to take on salary for draft picks. Over on the laker board, there was a comment that ATL has enough picks and wouldn't take future #1's for our shot at moving Deng to open up space.

My question to you all is, would you see any draft pick / Deng scenario's that could have you take on his last two years? Also in response to the laker poster....Would you feel that in your current team situation that you can possesses TOO MANY 1st round draft picks? Also with some teams not wanted to assist the Laker rebuild, would you as hawks fans be concerned should this potentially play out if it's not in direct competition with your team?

[Jamaaliver]

My question to you all is, would you see any draft pick / Deng scenario's that could have you take on his last two years?

Also in response to the laker poster....Would you feel that in your current team situation that you can possesses TOO MANY 1st round draft picks?

Also with some teams not wanted to assist the Laker rebuild, would you as hawks fans be concerned should this potentially play out if it's not in direct competition with your team?

Our GM has indicated any cap space we maintain this summer will be specifically dangled to absorb salary from other teams...

In exchange for draft picks.

Our guy sees himself as a draft guru and wants all the first rounders he can get. (He took a similar tactic last year, taking on Jamal Crawford from LA Clippers in exchange for a late 1st rounder.)

See info below:

Spoiler:

Read on Twitter

Instead, GM Travis Schlenk has said his plan is to use that space to absorb salaries in trades from teams looking to shed money while acquiring draft picks and promising young players. Schlenk predicts that as many as 16 teams will be subject to the luxury tax next season, meaning there could be several teams looking to make cost-saving deals.

The Hawks have the flexibility to make such deals because they have just seven players with fully guaranteed contracts for next season Three of those players have relatively cheap rookie-scale contracts for first-round draft picks and another will make the league minimum salary. The Hawks will add four more players in the upcoming draft.

[kg01]

Hello all, I wanted to pose a quick question of the fans perspective. This will be the first time posting on any other teams page so even if this has been asked, please forgive this occurrence.

So I recently read that your team has quite a few draft picks coming up in this year and also in upcoming years. Today I read the post above about your GM stating the possible need to take a step back to get better & the potential to take on salary for draft picks. Over on the laker board, there was a comment that ATL has enough picks and wouldn't take future #1's for our shot at moving Deng to open up space.

My question to you all is, would you see any draft pick / Deng scenario's that could have you take on his last two years? Also in response to the laker poster....Would you feel that in your current team situation that you can possesses TOO MANY 1st round draft picks? Also with some teams not wanted to assist the Laker rebuild, would you as hawks fans be concerned should this potentially play out if it's not in direct competition with your team?

Now that we're having a complete culture-reset (via Budenholzer's departure, for better or worse), I could definitely see them taking on future 1sts to absorb a contract like Deng's. As @jamalll said, Schlenki has plainly said that's what he's looking to do.

With Budenholzer here, it would've been doubtful because his presence would presume they'd be looking to win in the near(er) term. Now, all bets are off.

As long as we're not talking about a friggin conditional 2023 pick, top 31-protected or some other craziness, we're probably in play for a DengDump.

I think it's important to re-state, that's a change facilitated by recent coach-related events. IOW, the posters suggesting we had enough picks weren't necessarily wrong (at the time).

As far as helping the LAL rebuild, wtf would we care about that as long as we felt we met our needs in the process? JMHO

[Jamaaliver]

I could definitely see them taking on future 1sts to absorb a contract like Deng's.

As long as we're not talking about a friggin conditional 2023 pick, top 31-protected or some other craziness, we're probably in play for a DengDump.

With cap space at a premium this summer....I could see Trav bidding up our cap space to the highest bidder and holding out for a young lottery prospect the caliber of Ingram or D Russell.


Not quite franchise talents, but clearly starting caliber players with a high ceiling.

[jayu70]

Hello all, I wanted to pose a quick question of the fans perspective. This will be the first time posting on any other teams page so even if this has been asked, please forgive this occurrence.

So I recently read that your team has quite a few draft picks coming up in this year and also in upcoming years. Today I read the post above about your GM stating the possible need to take a step back to get better & the potential to take on salary for draft picks. Over on the laker board, there was a comment that ATL has enough picks and wouldn't take future #1's for our shot at moving Deng to open up space.

My question to you all is, would you see any draft pick / Deng scenario's that could have you take on his last two years? Also in response to the laker poster....Would you feel that in your current team situation that you can possesses TOO MANY 1st round draft picks? Also with some teams not wanted to assist the Laker rebuild, would you as hawks fans be concerned should this potentially play out if it's not in direct competition with your team?

We can never have too many picks, we can combine picks to move up, draft and stash, use a pick to move an undesirable contract (unlikely), trade a 1st for a future 1st pick, combine a pick with a player to move up in the draft etc.
Hawks have 3 1sts this year and 2 next year and it may be considered enough by some but there is no way that the Hawks take Deng's contract without at least a 1st coming to Atlanta. So you'll have to start with the Cavs 1st at least plus.
The Hawks have already have Bazemore and Plumlee with undesirable contracts for the next 2 years, so even though 'were taking a step back' adding Deng's albatross may not be desirable as it leaves us with not much flexibility next off season to sell capspace unless LAL really makes it worth it this offseason.

[Robo_Claw]

I could definitely see them taking on future 1sts to absorb a contract like Deng's.

As long as we're not talking about a friggin conditional 2023 pick, top 31-protected or some other craziness, we're probably in play for a DengDump.

With cap space at a premium this summer....I could see Trav bidding up our cap space to the highest bidder and holding out for a young lottery prospect the caliber of Ingram or D Russell.


Not quite franchise talents, but clearly starting caliber players with a high ceiling.

Yeah im down with that. worst case we get a pick and a young starter we could use/flip/whatever. our cap space is useless for the foreseeable future anyways.

[Jamaaliver]

Yeah im down with that. worst case we get a pick and a young starter we could use/flip/whatever. our cap space is useless for the foreseeable future anyways.

Agreed. my biggest issue with Danny Ferry's tenure as GM was his allegiance to maintaining salary cap space to use in Free Agency.

And then striking out for his primary Free Agent targets time and again.

Travis's approach seems a more sensible one for this phase of our rebuild.

[macd-gm]

A noteworthy quote from Travis.

He states there is a 5-year plan and his desire to build completely through the draft.

Read on Twitter

Developing players and positive culture is exactly the Danny Ferry playbook that led to Bud's hire. Hopefully they find someone good. It feels like we're just playing the same script over and over Knight/Woody Ferry/Bud Travis/?

[Jamaaliver]

Developing players and positive culture is exactly the Danny Ferry playbook that led to Bud's hire. Hopefully they find someone good. It feels like we're just playing the same script over and over Knight/Woody Ferry/Bud Travis/?

Is it?

I remember Ferry building almost exclusively through Free Agency. Handing out only modest deals and then trying to pitch Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Carmelo, LeBron on teaming up here.

I remember most of those players refusing to even meet with us.

It feels like Ferry's approach was the exact opposite of what we're doing now.

[Joe Kleazy]

Thanks on the responses....I figured as much, but wanted to hear from fans that have a pulse on their team. I'm more than hoping we can come to a reasonable agreement on sending Deng over for this years and future first.....that doesn't have us back in a Nash / Ainge - Billy King scenario. This would truly allow us to make smarter decisions without forcing our hand on Julius Randle, while also potentially setting you all up to shake up the roster to ruin the plans of Boston & Sixers going forward. The east seems to be wide open in a few years aside from those two teams.

Thanks again!!

[macd-gm]

Developing players and positive culture is exactly the Danny Ferry playbook that led to Bud's hire. Hopefully they find someone good. It feels like we're just playing the same script over and over Knight/Woody Ferry/Bud Travis/?

Is it?

I remember Ferry building almost exclusively through Free Agency. Handing out only modest deals and then trying to pitch Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Carmelo, LeBron on teaming up here.

I remember most of those players refusing to even meet with us.

It feels like Ferry's approach was the exact opposite of what we're doing now.

I'm talking about player development and positive culture. Or as Ferry/Bud said: high character guys. That's all they talked about is changing the culture of the whole organization and honestly they did it. But from improving our training, staff and facilities we implemented a huge player development program that didn't exist at all before. We didn't have high draft picks but we invested in young guys like Baze, Moose, Hardaway, Demarre, Dennis.

It's why it is so important to come out of this draft with a real star. You don't get many shots at one and we'll likely be right back to finding undervalued guys like Sap and Demarre and trying to develop later first round guys like Prince and Dennis after this season.

[Jamaaliver]

I'm talking about player development and positive culture. Or as Ferry/Bud said: high character guys.

It's why it is so important to come out of this draft with a real star. You don't get many shots at one and we'll likely be right back to finding undervalued guys like Sap and Demarre and trying to develop later first round guys like Prince and Dennis after this season.

Yeah, these are valid points.



But do you seriously think we're out of the lottery and back to playoff appearances after this summer?


I'm under the impression we'd be here for the next couple of years.

[macd-gm]

I'm talking about player development and positive culture. Or as Ferry/Bud said: high character guys.

It's why it is so important to come out of this draft with a real star. You don't get many shots at one and we'll likely be right back to finding undervalued guys like Sap and Demarre and trying to develop later first round guys like Prince and Dennis after this season.

Yeah, these are valid points.



But do you seriously think we're out of the lottery and back to playoff appearances after this summer?


I'm under the impression we'd be here for the next couple of years.

No. I don't think we'll see the playoffs this year and maybe not next but i also don't think we're likely to have a high pick either. You never know though. If Travis can find real stars anywhere in the lottery then all will be forgiven.

[jayu70]

Now we are. And even longer if the young draftees aren't developed properly, or if it's the wrong pick - We'd jyst be the Kings, Suns or Magic - high draft picks but rudderless front office.

[Jamaaliver]

Not sure if Jayu has already posted this elsewhere...

Read on Twitter

I imagine he'll be having a similar conversation again after the NBA draft.

[tbhawksfan1]

If Schro gotta go just make sure you get a good deal. TS gonna build his team just no more steps back