The Atlanta Hawks were supposed to be major players at this year's trade deadline. Instead, Thursday afternoon came and went without general manager Travis Schlenk and company making any moves of real consequence.

Swapping Tyler Dorsey for Shelvin Mack in an exchange of third-tier guards with the Memphis Grizzlies isn't exactly the type of trade that gets people excited, and neither is acquiring Boston Celtics guard Jabari Bird for cash considerations. Atlanta's relative stasis is made all the more surprising considering the presence of multiple veterans on coach Lloyd Pierce's roster who could help contending teams leading up to the playoffs.

But don't confuse the Hawks mostly sitting out the trade deadline for any subsequent plans to let those players go before season's end. According to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta has no plans to engage in buy-out discussions with any of its incumbent veterans.

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The most likely buy-out candidates for the Hawks are point guard Jeremy Lin, big man Dewayne Dedmon, and future Hall-of-Famer Vince Carter, each of whom is a free agent after this season and could provide valuable depth to a contender. Lin has made nearly $70 million throughout his career, while Carter has accrued approximately $170 million in earnings, making it more financially palatable for them than Dedmon to possibly leave money on the table in any potential buy-out discussion.

Atlanta has been playing better of late, though, going 12-12 over its last 24 games to emerge from the morass of ineptitude at the bottom of the league standings. Perhaps Schlenk and company feel a culture developing, and prefer to foster it by staying the course with those already in the locker room over the season's final stretch? That's understandable, and hopefully a decision with which Lin, Dedmon, and Carter, likely playing his last season at age 42, can make peace.