Paul Millsap Says He Is Likely to Opt Out of Hawks Contract, Enter Free Agency

Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap confirmed what many expected when he announced Saturday he "probably will opt out" of the final year of his contract, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com).

According to Spotrac, Millsap will earn a little over $21.4 million in 2017-18 if he exercises his player option. Otherwise, he'd become an unrestricted free agent.

From a financial perspective, there's little reason for Millsap not to test the waters in free agency. The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the salary cap is projected to climb to $101 million for next year, so teams will have even more money to spend.

If Nicolas Batum can earn $24 million a year, then Millsap should have little problem receiving a new contract paying him more than what he's set to earn for next year.

Perhaps most importantly, free agency would allow Millsap to see if he can have a better situation than what the Hawks can currently offer.

Atlanta's outlook isn't exactly encouraging. The team lost in the first round of the NBA playoffs to the Washington Wizards, and it's hard to see how the Hawks' current core can achieve much more in the postseason.

A Big Three of Millsap, Dwight Howard and Dennis Schroder isn't going to unseat the Cleveland Cavaliers for Eastern Conference supremacy. And with big money tied down to long-term deals for Howard, Schroder and Kent Bazemore, Atlanta wouldn't have a ton of financial flexibility to improve the squad.

Bleacher Report's Dan Favale listed Darren Collison, Sergio Rodriguez and P.J. Tucker as the Hawks' top three free-agent targets when factoring in their available money.

Millsap expressed a desire to stay in Atlanta.

"I want to be here," he said, per the AP. "I think talks have been pretty good. It's something me, my agent and my family have got to sit down and talk about."

A lot can change between now and when free agency officially opens, though.