It’s fun to speculate who would look good in an Atlanta uniform, but pulling off these kinds of trades for a star is always difficult, especially if there isn’t an obvious attraction. The tax question might be the most fascinating of the offseason because it sets up how the roster will be built around Young in 2022-23. If Trae Young is named to any of the All-NBA teams, his $30.5 million salary increases to $36.6 million next season, further pushing the Hawks’ guaranteed money upward.
The clearest move for the Hawks to have some wiggle room in avoiding the tax is either waiving Danilo Gallinari and paying him his $5 million guarantee or trading him. But if they can’t swing big moves and the ceiling looks much of the same as it did this season, it’s hard imagining Ressler having the stomach for it. If general manager Travis Schlenk can change the roster this offseason and convince Ressler they are a contender, I don’t think the tax would be an issue. Ressler has yet to speak since the season ended, so it’s unclear what his appetite is for paying the tax for a team that, as currently constructed, isn’t particularly close to being a contender. They’re now coming off a disappointing season where they were the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference after the regular season and clearly overmatched against Miami in the first round. That was said after the Hawks were two wins away from making the NBA Finals. “But if we have to go into the tax to be a great team for a period of time, so be it.” “If the question is are we scared of the tax, are we scared of going into the tax? I’m scared of paying the tax and not being a good team - yes, that I’m scared of,” Ressler said. Here’s what he said on the issue at the end of last season: He’s always said the right things when it comes to eventually being faced with paying the tax, which is that he’ll have no qualms if it means the Hawks are in title contention. Does Tony Ressler want to pay the tax?įor the first time since Ressler bought the Hawks, his franchise is faced with paying the luxury tax. Let’s examine 10 of the most pressing questions facing the Hawks this offseason as they look to bounce back. Louis, but in the end, it turned out to be one of the biggest letdowns. This was arguably the most-anticipated Hawks season since the team moved from St.
How Miami won its first-round playoff series over Atlanta exposed a lot of the needs the Hawks have to address. The Eastern Conference improved this season the Hawks didn’t when many expected they would. This is still a young roster with the core all under 25 years old, but it’s also a roster that is flawed and not built to be a contending team. The Hawks are in an interesting position entering what should be an intriguing offseason.