Upgrade coming per Schlenk

[Spud2nique]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/266801/Hawks-GM-Travis-Schlenk-Were-Going-To-Try-To-Upgrade-The-Roster

The Atlanta Hawks fell from the Eastern Conference Finals to a first-round playoff exit. Atlanta GM Travis Schlenk said part of that fell on being too comfortable with their roster during the 2021 offseason.

"We made the decision last year to run the same group back. We probably should've tried to upgrade, as opposed to stay status quo," Schlenk said. "The way the season played out; we're certainly going to try to upgrade the roster moving forward into next season."

Schlenk mentioned that the Hawks have some of their own free agents to deal with this summer. He also said that there are contract situations (likely Danilo Gallinari's partially guaranteed deal) and extensions to be dealt with.

 

[Spud2nique]

Gallo and the #16 pick are goners in my mind.

[AHF]

Last year was a "run it back" offseason.  During the season, TS tried to explore options but didn't find a fit (other than unloading Cam).

This offseason is going to be very interesting.  

[Final_quest]

Are we finally ready to acknowledge this?  Should we have upgraded last year?  

Here's another question that will blow some people's minds.  Should we have traded Gallo at the trade deadline?  That's another one I advocated hard for, and I guarantee people are gonna be mad when he walks with no compensation.

Trading pick #16 is tricky.  You have to have the right player available at the time of the draft to pull that off.  We're hoping for that, but it's not a guarantee. 

[AHF]

3 minutes ago, Final_quest said:

Are we finally ready to acknowledge this?  Should we have upgraded last year?  

Here's another question that will blow some people's minds.  Should we have traded Gallo at the trade deadline?  That's another one I advocated hard for, and I guarantee people are gonna be mad when he walks with no compensation.

Trading pick #16 is tricky.  You have to have the right player available at the time of the draft to pull that off.  We're hoping for that, but it's not a guarantee. 

I think Schlenk acknowledged it very publicly when he said we were trying to make a trade near the deadline.  

Quote

The Atlanta Hawks are expecting to be active ahead of the Feb. 10 trade deadline.

"Yeah, I don’t think there’s any reason for us not to be at this point," general manager Travis Schlenk said Tuesday on 92.9 The Game (h/t Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). "... I wouldn’t be doing my job if I just stuck my head in the sand and said things are great. I don’t think that’s doing my job."

As the deadline approached, he shared that he didn't see any viable deals materializing but that he hadn't ruled it out.  Then after the deadline had past and he was stuck with the roster as it was he made the best of it by spinning that the team had done better lately and they were comfortable moving forward with the then current roster.

But both from what was reported in the press as well as what our people with "inside sources" shared, it all lined up to Schlenk trying to find a much bigger deal during the season.  So it doesn't surprise me at all to see him echo that same theme for the offseason.  He would be stupid to say something like, "big trade, ride or die" but his comment that "we're certainly going to try to upgrade the roster moving forward into next season" seems pretty clear for what the goal is.  Who is available, what the prices look like, and what TS can swing in negotiations will just have to be seen.

[Diesel]

1 minute ago, Final_quest said:

Are we finally ready to acknowledge this?  Should we have upgraded last year?  

Here's another question that will blow some people's minds.  Should we have traded Gallo at the trade deadline?  That's another one I advocated hard for, and I guarantee people are gonna be mad when he walks with no compensation.

Trading pick #16 is tricky.  You have to have the right player available at the time of the draft to pull that off.  We're hoping for that, but it's not a guarantee. 

Run it back means.. bring back everybody. 

Well, we definitely know we should not have brought back Cam.   I don't know when Travis got the trade request for Cam but if we got it before the draft, we should have gone after a high draft pick with him. 

JC, CC, and Kev all got raises. 

That leads me to believe that he's talking about Bogi or Gallo that should have been moved. 

Gallo by virtue of contract may be who he's alluding to.  There wouldn't have been much upgrading for Gallo then. 

or

Maybe he's talking about Coach??

It would have been a death sentence for Travis if he didn't bring Nate back.  His hands were forced on that move.

All that being said.

I think we will try to use Gallo, #16 and maybe Bogi to bring in a superstar SG to play next to Trae.

With the rise of Anfernee Simons and Damian Lillard coming back, we still may be in the market for Josh Hart.   But that's not a superstar move. 

I joke and kid but I can't not think that Ben Simmons may be on our radar.   And there's still Paul George and Michael Porter Jr. 

 

 

[BangHolman]

9 minutes ago, Final_quest said:

Are we finally ready to acknowledge this?  Should we have upgraded last year?  

Here's another question that will blow some people's minds.  Should we have traded Gallo at the trade deadline?  That's another one I advocated hard for, and I guarantee people are gonna be mad when he walks with no compensation.

Trading pick #16 is tricky.  You have to have the right player available at the time of the draft to pull that off.  We're hoping for that, but it's not a guarantee. 

I would easily trade 16 for someone we still see potential in. Like when we traded 15 for 19 and two 2nds, and eventually 19 for THJ in 2015.

[Diesel]

1 minute ago, BangHolman said:

I would easily trade 16 for someone we still see potential in. Like when we traded 15 for 19 and two 2nds, and eventually 19 for THJ in 2015.

Yeah, that move was also cap conscious. 

 

[Diesel]

Actually, 

I have talked myself into wanting us to keep the pick and picking up Mark Williams or Jalen Duren. 

 

[AHF]

26 minutes ago, BangHolman said:

I would easily trade 16 for someone we still see potential in. Like when we traded 15 for 19 and two 2nds, and eventually 19 for THJ in 2015.

For me, my eagerness to trade the pick is tied to whether we actually intend to keep and develop Cooper and JJ.  If we plan to flip them, then bringing in a rookie is much more attractive.  If we are going to keep and develop them (which would be my preference), then I would want to trade the pick because the developmental minutes next season should go to those two.  Both will basically be rookies after getting no run this season.  I think 3 rookies is overdoing it on a playoff roster.  Conversely, we could be setting ourselves in cap jail depending on what we do this offseason so having low $$, cost controlled players on rookie contracts is a good thing for a team like that so I'd still be interested if we don't plan on investing in the development of Coop and JJ.

[Diesel]

27 minutes ago, AHF said:

For me, my eagerness to trade the pick is tied to whether we actually intend to keep and develop Cooper and JJ.  If we plan to flip them, then bringing in a rookie is much more attractive.  If we are going to keep and develop them (which would be my preference), then I would want to trade the pick because the developmental minutes next season should go to those two.  Both will basically be rookies after getting no run this season.  I think 3 rookies is overdoing it on a playoff roster.  Conversely, we could be setting ourselves in cap jail depending on what we do this offseason so having low $$, cost controlled players on rookie contracts is a good thing for a team like that so I'd still be interested if we don't plan on investing in the development of Coop and JJ.

I don't know.  I believe in growing a team and having a farm.

If our future team is Mark Williams, OO, JJ,  and Rife...  then I'm alright with keeping the pick.  I just think we need to be deliberate in how we want to grow.

 

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, Final_quest said:

Are we finally ready to acknowledge this?  Should we have upgraded last year? 

It takes a lot of risk and gonads to make big moves to a team that was 2 wins away from the NBA finals in 2021. 
 

 

[kg01]

I never understood folks that had an issue with the 'runn it bak' concept.  It didn't work out, clearly, but it wasn't the craziest thing in the world.

On the idea that upgrades are a-comin', I'll believe it when I see it.

Honestly sounds like some preemptive Dan E. strAinge stuff.  "Oh we almost had a deal for Giannis but, gosh darnit, it fell through right at the end.  But we tryin'"

Or the best one ... "Yeah we almost traded up for (insert breakout 2022 draftee) but, gosh darnit, it fell through right at the end.  But we tryin'"

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, AHF said:

For me, my eagerness to trade the pick is tied to whether we actually intend to keep and develop Cooper and JJ.  If we plan to flip them, then bringing in a rookie is much more attractive.  If we are going to keep and develop them (which would be my preference), then I would want to trade the pick because the developmental minutes next season should go to those two.  Both will basically be rookies after getting no run this season.  I think 3 rookies is overdoing it on a playoff roster.  Conversely, we could be setting ourselves in cap jail depending on what we do this offseason so having low $$, cost controlled players on rookie contracts is a good thing for a team like that so I'd still be interested if we don't plan on investing in the development of Coop and JJ.

I think this is where we find out if Schlenk is a good negotiator, we have tons of assets, he just has to cash in wisely. Keep flexibility in mind going forward. I know we are eager to get back to the top but we need to be smart about it.

[Spud2nique]

Just now, kg01 said:

I never understood folks that had an issue with the 'runn it bak' concept.  It didn't work out, clearly, but it wasn't the craziest thing in the world.

On the idea that upgrades are a-comin', I'll believe it when I see it.

Honestly sounds like some preemptive Dan E. strAinge stuff.  "Oh we almost had a deal for Giannis but, gosh darnit, it fell through right at the end.  But we tryin'"

Or the best one ... "Yeah we almost traded up for (insert breakout 2022 draftee) but, gosh darnit, it fell through right at the end.  But we tryin'"

This should be filed under ISE!!!  I like your spirit though you gotta lotta WANT in those eyes ..

[kg01]

1 minute ago, Spud2nique said:

This should be filed under ISE!!!  I like your spirit though you gotta lotta WANT in those eyes ..

I forgot one ..

"Ohhh we almost signed (Beal, Lavine, Ayton) but, gosh darnit, it fell through right at the end.  But ... we tryin'".

[JeffS17]

34 minutes ago, kg01 said:

I never understood folks that had an issue with the 'runn it bak' concept.  It didn't work out, clearly, but it wasn't the craziest thing in the world.

On the idea that upgrades are a-comin', I'll believe it when I see it.

Honestly sounds like some preemptive Dan E. strAinge stuff.  "Oh we almost had a deal for Giannis but, gosh darnit, it fell through right at the end.  But we tryin'"

Or the best one ... "Yeah we almost traded up for (insert breakout 2022 draftee) but, gosh darnit, it fell through right at the end.  But we tryin'"

Do you have a folder of thousands of reactions gifs from actresses?

[JeffS17]

Also, I feel like Schlenks position hasn't changed since ~December.  He tried to upgrade at the trade deadline but nothing reasonable was on the table. 

I think as fans there's only one thing we can do to help this team -- hear me out.  We need to campaign to Jami Gertz to get Ressler to dig deep in those pockets.  I see her at every Hawks game, cheering on the team, being supportive, always swag n surfin' at the start of the 4th... she's our key to success.  She loves this team, she wants to win.  We need to get her to put pressure on hubby to open the vault and all these conversations about staying under the tax are moot!!!

[kg01]

11 minutes ago, JeffS17 said:

Do you have a folder of thousands of reactions gifs from actresses?

[JayBirdHawk]

1 hour ago, JeffS17 said:

Do you have a folder of thousands of reactions gifs from actresses?

Folder? He has his own hard drive with its own search feature, sorted for each Squawker.

1 hour ago, kg01 said: