Report: Paul Millsap may not get max offer from Hawks, might get heftier sum elsewhere

New general manager Travis Schlenk told Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that retaining Millsap is still their priority, though he did mention the four-time All-Star power forward could receive more lucrative offers as an unrestricted free agent next month.

“We are going to make Paul our best offer,” Schlenk said this week. “Will he have better offers? I don’t know. Do we want to keep Paul? Sure. I said last week, if you are building a team with all the things I’ve said, Paul checks all those boxes. He’s a hard-worker. He’s a good guy. He’s high-character. Skilled. He does all that stuff. We’d like to have him. The reality is, he might get better offers than we can make him.”

Millsap is eligible for a max contract with the Hawks that can net him $205 million for the next five years or $152 million for four years from any other team.

Chances that the Swiss army knife forward could get a better deal from other teams is indicative of Atlanta's intentions of not breaking the piggy bank to re-sign him.

Schlenk has taken the teachings of being with his old team, the Golden State Warriors and what's made them so successful contractually, understanding what is a tradable contract and what isn't. A five-year deal for the 32-year-old Millsap would keep him in Atlanta until he's 37, making his deal nearly untradeable in the latter years of his contract.

“I’ve also said a contract level depends on the player,” Schlenk said. “Certain players, whatever Steph Curry and Kevin Durant get this summer, that’s going to be a tradeable contract.”

Schlenk is rather choosing to hone in the NBA Draft, which is only a week away, shifting his priority to what's coming right at him, rather than overloading his schedule around Millsap.