Atlanta Hawks: Tim Hardaway Jr. Forcing Trade Deadline Decisions

Keep Hardaway With A View To Re-Signing Him Long-Term

As a franchise with a strong track record of development in recent years, there’s also a possibility that the Hawks see even more in Hardaway than his current level of play has shown the wider NBA.

Regardless of whether the Hawks decide to pay Millsap a max-level deal that would see him remain with the franchise into the latter years of his career or move on in favor of a youth-focused rebuild, Hardaway could have a role to play if he has what it takes to kick on and improve further.

Atlanta Hawks

Keeping the band together risks dicing with mediocrity for another few years until time catches up with some of the franchise’s key players and they start to fall off, but in the short term it could extend some of the good feeling that surrounds the franchise in light of their rebrand, ownership change and the upcoming addition of a D-League franchise, construction of a new training facility and renovation of Philips Arena.

Without Millsap, if Atlanta believes Hardaway has what it takes, he could join the likes of Dennis Schröder and Kent Bazemore as pieces who could become the center of the franchise’s long-term plans.

Based on current production it’s difficult to see this as a wise or even viable strategy for the Hawks to pursue, but stranger things have happened. One thing’s for sure; if the Hawks are already mulling over how much they’re going to pay to retain Hardaway, they’re playing a high risk game.