Atlanta Hawks new general manager, Travis Schlenk, has a vast task ahead of himself after the departures of Paul Millsap, Dwight Howard, and Tim Hardaway Jr. — three starting-caliber players that will no longer be in a Hawks jersey this upcoming season.
The word “rebuild” has been one he's avoided at all costs since he took the job, but that doesn't mean he's lost sight of how the organization should handle this… let's just say it… rebuild.
“We want to continue the success we’ve had, but realize we might have to take a step back,” Schlenk told NBA.com's Shaun Powell. “We just don’t want to dip down two-to-three years in a row. We realize that young players in this league take their lumps but we don’t want to send the message that we’re (fine) with losing.”
The future looks bright with the likes of big man John Collins, the No. 19 overall selection in a talent-rich 2017 NBA Draft, but one that could take time to develop correctly.
The right steps have been taken by head coach Mike Budenholzer renouncing his additional title to focus on coaching, allowing Schlenk to take command and mold the roster to his vision, checking in with Budenholzer to make sure the needs are addressed.
“Bud’s been great,” said Schlenk. “Building a relationship with Bud was very important to me. Once we started talking about the roster and where we are, Bud was completely in board with the plan and is excited about the challenge to get us back up and contend for a championship in a few years.”
The Hawks will focus their efforts on player development before making any big acquisitions, likely expecting to not contend for the playoffs this upcoming season before re-assessing during the next to appraise the state of the franchise.
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