The State of the Atlanta Hawks on the First Day of NBA Free Agency

(Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)

J-Chill would not be a starter for the Hawks next season. Marvin clearly has surpassed him as a player. Another year in Greece probably lowers Childress value to NBA teams anyway. The rights to Childress are falling in value, but I think the Hawks will be able to include him in a trade package at the trading deadline next February.

4.  GM Rick Sund is going to sign a free agent big man or two. Zaza Pachulia is not going to be with the Hawks next year. The moves I have proposed should still allow the Hawks to spend about $10 million in salary to fill out the roster. 

Solomon Jones and Randolph Morris will be back at fairly low salaries, but the Hawks need a player that plays with passion and attacks the offensive and defensive boards. Besides Al Horford, the Hawks are soft on the glass.

I really like Anderson Varejao, but I am not sure that Hawks want to make another long-term commitment to an inside player when they are eventually going to commit to Horford. Varejao looks to be asking for a bigger deal than I would give him.

With the Villanueva signing, Antonio McDyess should be on the way out of Detroit. The Hawks probably can get McDyess for the mid-level salary exception which is around $5 million. 

I know McDyess is old, but he looks to be a great role model for the Hawks' young inside players. He might be able to show Josh Smith what it means to be a professional player and bring a work ethic to the game of basketball. He might also teach him how to shoot from the outside.

If the Hawks cannot get McDyess, I really like Brandon Bass from the Dallas Mavericks. You would definitely have to make a longer contract commitment to Bass than to McDyess, but Bass will not command Villanueva money. You might be able to sign Bass for a similar contract to the one Zaza signed four years ago—four years and $16 million.

5.  Lastly, there are a few big men available, true centers unlike Big Al, that the Hawks should consider. Luke Nevill, the seven-footer from Australia who played in high school in nearby Marietta, GA is intriguing. The big center from Utah is definitely a guy that can make an NBA roster. He reminds me of a poor man’s Joel Pryzbilla. He is worth a look, because Randolph Morris probably will never see the court.

These predictions leave the Hawks with this nine-man rotation on July 31:

Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Al Horford, Jamal Crawford, Flip Murray, Jeff Teague, Mo Evans, Antonio McDyess (or Brandon Bass)

I like the variety of five-man combinations that could be on the court with these guys. You are still missing a true vocal leader, but McDyess is a championship caliber player who has played in the Eastern Conference finals over the last few years. He is a strong presence that other players will listen to in the Hawks locker room.

My big fear is that Joe Johnson is starting to be mentioned in articles as a big name free agent for next year. JJ could be the Pippen to Lebron’s Jordan. That scares me. Hawks’ fans should not forget Johnson was being mentioned as a possible MVP candidate in late December of this season. 

The solution is for the Hawks to extend JJ an fair offer and for Johnson to sign that contract. Please, Joe, for my peace of mind.

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