Knixkik wrote:Atlanta definitely won't blow it up. At most they will determine they can continue the money ball approach and replace one or two guys with cheaper options and not lose much. Teague, horford, and Korver at least will be there. Millsap and/or Carroll could be gone if they think they can replace one of them for cheap without losing much. You can replace one guy in that starting lineup and save some money without falling apart.

And how long do you expect that to continue with that core? Al Horford is already 29 going on 30 and Kyle Korver is 33 years old. Jeff Teague is pretty young but I'm not sure any team can pretend that he is a legitimate building block for the future (enter the stat nerds to bash me). That team has about a 3 season window to get "it" done and I'm skeptical of their ability to do so without a Carmelo Anthony type talent.

yellowboy90 wrote:They can actually pay everyone decent big money and just wait until the cap goes up and have more room.

Yeah, I just read that the cap is going to spike as opposed to their being a gradual smoothing of it. I think that news may have effectively ended this being a possibility.

People are not seeing this clearly. NOT 1 team is going to be cheap. Its going to be a shock but money is going to be thrown around like you will not believe. There are two situations next year---David Lee GS and Brooklyn. Otherwise the flexibility is there.

NardDogNation wrote:

Knixkik wrote:Atlanta definitely won't blow it up. At most they will determine they can continue the money ball approach and replace one or two guys with cheaper options and not lose much. Teague, horford, and Korver at least will be there. Millsap and/or Carroll could be gone if they think they can replace one of them for cheap without losing much. You can replace one guy in that starting lineup and save some money without falling apart.

And how long do you expect that to continue with that core? Al Horford is already 29 going on 30 and Kyle Korver is 33 years old. Jeff Teague is pretty young but I'm not sure any team can pretend that he is a legitimate building block for the future (enter the stat nerds to bash me). That team has about a 3 season window to get "it" done and I'm skeptical of their ability to do so without a Carmelo Anthony type talent.

What's there to be skeptical about? They are ripping up the league and are definitely "for real". The last thing they need in that system is a ball stopping scorer like Melo. They are the proof that with a good system and players that fit, a team doesn't need a "Carmelo Anthony" type Talent. The Knicks have an actual Carmelo Anthony and have 10 wins and a 30 win season the year before. The Hawks have a good thing and won't simply blow it up. Not with the TV money coming and a lineup of mostly non max guys who play a killer style of ball as a team.

SupremeCommander wrote:the Atlanta fanbase is whack as fk... there is no chance the blow up a team at the top of the conference. they actually have something the front runners will want to go see.

They have been empty as hell prior years as filled with Knick fans EVERYTIME we have faced them in the past, with many other teams areanas but in the past the Knick fans probably outnumbered Atlanta fans that went to the games

That isn't the case this year and it is a sign that they will try to keep their core intact, with the same players/UFA's for this summer and Horford for next year
Dennis Schroeder and Jeff Teague, they probably eventually will have to decide to keep either one though as Shcroeder has worked on his weakness's and has become a starting PG when called upon now with better defense than teague and the ability to defend the PG/SG

Shcroeder was projected to be the "next Rhondo or Avery Bradley" type of player but he really has developed a legit 3pt shot, improved his ball handling/facilitating/penetration with contact, though it is also attributed to the shooters that spread the floor and high IQ players to move effectively both with and without the ball
However, they may even upgrade positions now in the next couple of seasons besides the PG position, while finding a cheaper replaceament of the 2 they currently have
Shelvin Mack has been a solid backup rotational PG that plays as the 3rd PG with the abilities to play SG as well who has signed for another 2 years *after this year* with final year as a team option on under 2.5m per year
Antic as a stretch 5 will be a RFA that could be replaced if he wants a big raise, he is unlikely to get it with the development of Muscula or finding other options
While veterans like Elton Brand and John Jenkins will likely be replaced with other players whether in the draft or FA as well, both are free agents this summer along with Antic who are may not come back
I see them keeping Millsap/ DeMMaRRe Carroll this summer while offering this a fair contract for their services, as they have never had such a successfull team and will keep their core intact
However, for Carroll *who signed a 2year deal at 2.5 per year and will be a UFA this summer*, if a team is willing to overpay for him, with Kent Beezemore *one more year at 2m after this year* and Sefelosha *signed another 2 more years at 4m each year* as the G/F's

They play as a selfless TEAM game, the way it should be, just as Poppavich would who has a desciple in Atlanta that preaches the same philosophy
Millsap only has 2year of service along with Caroll so Atlanta does not have their Bird Rights but does have a lot of cap space, with the possibly of acquiring assets if they decide to move Teague or Schroedder
They will be under the cap and could go over the cap if they want, by resigning their free agents with cap space and then resigning some of their RFA with early bird rights above to get the FULL 6m MLE to use or have the Bi Annual Exemption aka LLE that is right under 3m next summer
With all of their own picks this summer, future drafts, and owning other teams draft picks as well, including a future protected pick they received for trading Adreian Payne *pick 14 last summer* to the Twolves *Twolves pick top 14 protected in 2017 through 2020*
This summer, they will have right about 40m in salaries with a few UFA's with bird rights and not counting the picks/some cap holds against their salary* they will have 3 picks, 1 swap of Bklyn's pick, 1 2nd round pick from Torotno, and their own 2nd roun pick *pick 58-60 right now*

Again, they have 0 picks currently outgoing and have the assets to either continue acquiring young prospects or trade with the assets they have and/or players as posssiblities............

Atlanta's Picks Owned
=============================

2015 first round draft pick from Brooklyn
Atlanta has the right to swap its 2015 1st round pick for Brooklyn's 2015 1st round pick [Atlanta-Brooklyn, 7/11/2012]

2015 second round draft pick from Toronto
Toronto's 2015 2nd round pick to Atlanta [Atlanta-Toronto, 6/30/2014]

2017 first round draft pick from Minnesota
Minnesota's 1st round pick to Atlanta protected for selections in 1-14 in 2017 (conveyable if Minnesota conveys a 1st round pick to Boston in 2015), 1-14 in 2018, 1-14 in 2019 and 1-14 in 2020; if Minnesota has not conveyed a 1st round pick to Atlanta by 2020, then Minnesota will instead convey its 2020 2nd round pick and 2021 2nd round pick to Atlanta [Atlanta-Minnesota, 2/10/2015]

2017 second round draft pick from Brooklyn
Brooklyn's 2017 2nd round pick to Atlanta [Atlanta-Brooklyn, 7/11/2012]

2017 second round draft pick from Miami
Miami's 2nd round pick to Atlanta protected for selections 31-40 in 2017 and unprotected in 2018 [Atlanta-Miami, 6/27/2013]