Atlanta Hawks Taking a Look at Next Season’s Payroll and Free Agent Possibilities

The Atlanta Hawks season is nearing its end, it has been a season of excitement and promise for the seasons to come. With the off-season closing in let’s take a look at next years projected cap.

The Atlanta Hawks finish this season ranked 27th in total payroll with $25.5 million of that payroll number being paid to Carmelo Anthony.   Anthony was quickly released by the Hawks to sign with a contender, a contender who wanted Melo, however, was hard to come by.

Anthony remains a free agent and the biggest hit on the Hawk’s payroll. Despite his enormous salary the Hawks still were only 27th in total payroll at $107.6-million and will be rid of Anthony’s contract next season.

This will put them at a total of $56.9-million dollars already taken in cap space. Leaving them plenty of room to sign a max free agent.  With Trae Young and John Collins making the Hawks a more attractive free agent landing spot, the team has plenty of reason to believe they can sign a top free agent.

However, the team still has two very bad contracts to deal with.  Miles Plumlee and Kent Bazemore are owed $12.5-million and 19.2-milling respectively.  Plumlee’s contract is fully guaranteed and is impossible to get out from under.

Eating the money for one more season before freeing up more space for complementary pieces should be the plan for Atlanta.

Bazemore’s contract is a bit trickier with the guard having a player option he will seemingly exercise. With little chance to make anywhere close to $19.2-million on the open market Bazemore is likely in Atlanta for one more season.

As much as I like Bazemore as a teammate and a person when it comes to basketball he simply isn’t very good in comparison to his contract. He is a solid depth piece not who the Hawks should be paying the most in 2019.

Bazemore’s contract is a problem, one the Hawks are unlikely to get out from under. He is likely to stay in Atlanta for another season. A fact that shouldn’t hurt Atlanta but will limit their budget if they were to land a top star.

Looking at this season’s pending free agents the Hawks aren’t losing any player of note aside from Vince Carter. Carter is a great teammate and leader the Hawks should bring back on a veteran deal. One that won’t hurt their cap whatsoever and bring back every important member of their core from 2018.

The Hawks rebuild looks to be at its end, the front office has set up an impressive young core that can lure a top free agent to Atlanta.

Even if they fail to sign a top free agent Atlanta has two first round picks in the upcoming draft. Giving them to chance to be a competitive team by simply drafting and signing role players for next season.

The Hawks will go into the season with the third lowest projected payroll making them one of the most flexible teams in the NBA. A team that will have roughly (After accounting for their draft picks and resigning Carter)  $40-million to spend on a great free agent class.

The rebuild is quickly coming to an end in Atlanta. A rebuild that has set the Hawks up to put themselves back in contention not only next year but in the seasons to come.