After the Hawks traded away Kyle Korver to the Cavaliers for a first round pick, Mike Dunleavy, and Mo Williams, many were convinced that the move was the start of a fire sale. If the Hawks did decide to blow up their team, Paul Millsap would be guaranteed to go. This gave hope to borderline contenders like the Raptors and Celtics who believe they’re are one piece away from winning a title. Paul Millsap can be the piece that puts a team over the hump into title contention.
Paul Millsap trade rumors at the deadline is one of the NBA’s yearly traditions along with Lebron going to the finals, Derrick Rose getting injured, and the Clippers losing in the second round, yet people STILL get surprised when the Hawks decide not to trade him. Now, the Hawks announcing that they’re not trading Millsap doesn’t guarantee that he won’t be moved. The deadline is on February 23 and a lot can happen in six weeks, but it will come as no shock when the deadline passes and Millsap remains in Atlanta. Atlanta should not blow up their team. They’re the fourth seed in the East and have just as good as shot as any other Eastern Conference team to reach the finals in the event that the Cavs suffer a catastrophic injury (I’m not going to name names and jinx it). Despite what many believe, trading Korver is not an admission of defeat. He is 35 years old, averaging less than 10 PPG, was recently relegated to a bench role, and would definitely not have re-signed with the team when his contract expired this offseason. The fact that Atlanta was able to get a first round pick, albeit a late one, is impressive. It may feel like a gut punch to Atlanta as they are losing a key member of the (sorta) historic 2015 team. The bottom line is that this trade was a win-win and a smart decision by GM Wes Wilcox. This team is not significantly different than they were before the trade, and it should be business as usual for the Hawks.
Paul Millsap trade rumors at the deadline is one of the NBA’s yearly traditions along with Lebron going to the finals, Derrick Rose getting injured, and the Clippers losing in the second round, yet people STILL get surprised when the Hawks decide not to trade him. Now, the Hawks announcing that they’re not trading Millsap doesn’t guarantee that he won’t be moved. The deadline is on February 23 and a lot can happen in six weeks, but it will come as no shock when the deadline passes and Millsap remains in Atlanta. Atlanta should not blow up their team. They’re the fourth seed in the East and have just as good as shot as any other Eastern Conference team to reach the finals in the event that the Cavs suffer a catastrophic injury (I’m not going to name names and jinx it). Despite what many believe, trading Korver is not an admission of defeat. He is 35 years old, averaging less than 10 PPG, was recently relegated to a bench role, and would definitely not have re-signed with the team when his contract expired this offseason. The fact that Atlanta was able to get a first round pick, albeit a late one, is impressive. It may feel like a gut punch to Atlanta as they are losing a key member of the (sorta) historic 2015 team. The bottom line is that this trade was a win-win and a smart decision by GM Wes Wilcox. This team is not significantly different than they were before the trade, and it should be business as usual for the Hawks.