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The Atlanta Hawks took the NBA by storm for a few weeks during the NBA playoffs after taking out the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers. The ride came to an end after they were beaten twice in a row by a Milwaukee Bucks team that didn't have Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Despite not making it to the other NBA Finals, it was an incredibly successful season for the Hawks as they raced to the Eastern Conference Finals. Now, they look ahead to the offseason and like most teams, they will have some huge decisions to make.
Here are three major decisions the Hawks must make this offseason after losing to the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
1.) Resign John Collins or let him walk as a restricted free agent
This is without a doubt, priority number one for the Hawks.
John Collins had a solid season for Atlanta and is clearly a core piece that they'd like to have going forward for years to come. Most importantly, he and Trae Young work very well on the floor together, especially working off the pick-and-roll.
Collins is set to be a restricted free agent meaning, while he can sign an offer sheet from another team, the Hawks will have the opportunity to match any offer that comes the way of Collins.
Atlanta tried avoiding this by offering Collins a hefty extension last year that reportedly amounted over $90 million. Collins rejected the offer, wanting to take aim at a max contract.
Now, after a real good regular season and a postseason where he was one of the go to guys for the Hawks, it will be real interesting to see what the market dictates for Collins in the offseason. Trae Young's rookie deal is set to expire after next year, so he will certainly be getting a max contract from Atlanta. If someone offers one to Collins, will the Hawks match it? That's what they need to decide. It's all already on Collins' mind with the offseason now in focus.
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It's the biggest decision for the Hawks to make this offseason and it will have a long term impact either way. If Collins gets the max offer from any team and Atlanta matches it, it will tie them up with the cap for quite some time as he and Young would both be on massive max deals. If Atlanta passes and shuffles along, they will have flexibility this summer and potentially moving forward but may not find or get someone to Collins' level.
2.) What to do with the No. 20 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft
Even though they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Hawks landed the No. 20 pick in the NBA draft based off of the regular season standings. While it's not a lottery pick, it's still a solid first-round selection that Atlanta can use to add a key piece moving forward.
With Lou Williams set to be a free agent and Kris Dunn just not panning out at all, perhaps the Hawks go the route of adding a backup point guard to run the second unit behind Trae Young.
Cameron Thomas from LSU could be available, as could Tre Mann of Florida or Ayo Dosunmu of Illinois.
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The Hawks have plenty of shooting and if Collins is back in the mix, they have plenty of big bodies to work down low. Getting a young point guard to run the show off the bench if Williams ends up going elsewhere in free agency could become a focal point for Atlanta's offseason and they could do far worse than selecting either of the three options listed.
Dosunmu is the most experienced of the bunch while Mann has the most star potential of the group. Thomas is the energizer bunny who has an incredibly crisp mid-range game.
If Lou Williams is out the door, someone will have to backup Young and spell him as part of the bench mob's second unit. The No. 20 pick in the draft would be a cheap option that could add a young, promising prospect that could answer the question for the Hawks.
3.) What to do with Lou Williams
Lou Williams will hit free agency at the age of 34 coming off a season where the numbers dipped in the regular season and the Los Angeles Clippers traded him away for Rajon Rondo.
However, when Young went down with an ankle injury and missed two games against the Bucks in the playoffs, it was Williams that stepped in and stepped up for the Hawks.
In Game 4 without Young, Williams started and scored 21 points on 7-9 shooting and chipped in 8 assists and 5 rebounds as well. In Game 5, Williams went 8-15 from the field, scoring 17 points and having 5 assists.
He proved in the playoffs he can still be a microwave scorer off the bench like he's been his entire career. He was praised by Young for his veteran presence and leadership and if there's a right dollar amount to satisfy both ends, Williams and the Hawks would be a good fit together for next season.
The Hawks had a great season that ended in the Eastern Conference Finals, a spot many never thought they'd get to. Now, the attention shifts to the offseason with the draft and free agency as Atlanta looks to build on for next year so they can take that next step.
