Paul Millsap Trade Rumors Shot Down By Mike Budenholzer

Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer stated unequivocally Monday that power forward Paul Millsap won't be moved before the NBA's Feb. 23 trade deadline.  

Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution passed along comments from the fourth-year coach, who also serves as the franchise's president of basketball operations, about Millsap's status.

"He's not going anywhere," Budenholzer said. "You can write that."

The update from Budenholzer comes about six weeks after the forward became one of the hottest commodities in the rumor mill.

Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported in early January the Hawks were "listening to trade pitches" for the 32-year-old former member of the Utah Jazz. Vivlamore noted there was at least one "solid offer" made by another team, but no final agreement was reached.

Millsap told the AJC he's taking his head coach at his word and expressed happiness with the solidification of his place in Atlanta.

"Bud has been a man of his word," he said. "He has always shot it straight with me, always been honest with me. I take his word for what it is. It's refreshing to know I'm not going anywhere and I'll be on this team until the end of the year. Now, I've got to make it work. Stick to basketball and try to get wins."

His comment about being with the Hawks "until the end of the year" references what made the trade speculation intriguing in the first place.

Millsap holds a player option for the 2017-18 season with a cap hit of nearly $21.5 million, according to Spotrac. He could decline it and become an unrestricted free agent over the summer without Atlanta getting any value in return.

Vivlamore reported back in October that the four-time All-Star selection was "undecided" about opting out of the contract. The forward didn't provide any additional information about that following the news Atlanta is planning to keep him.

All told, the Hawks are in a difficult position. They are firmly inside the Eastern Conference playoff picture, which would make it hard to justify selling off a key asset like Millsap, but it's debatable whether they are a contender with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards.

An early exit from the postseason combined with potentially losing Millsap in free agency this summer would be a double whammy for the organization. That said, it's hard to see the front office reversing course after Budenholzer's strong comments Monday.