The NBA rumor mill is beginning to heat up and the biggest name floating around is Atlanta Hawks All-Star forward Paul Millsap. After the Hawks’ trade of shooter Kyle Korver, the belief was that Atlanta would likely move Millsap as they felt like they couldn’t compete with the top teams in the East.
The fact that Millsap is on the last year of his deal, and the Hawks are coming off losing Al Horford for nothing this past offseason, seemed to make it more likely that they would seek a trade.
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That no longer seems to be the case as Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports that Millsap is no longer on the trade market:
Sources: Atlanta GM Wes Wilcox has started informing teams today that Paul Millsap is no longer on the trade market.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) January 9, 2017
Wojnarowski also added that the Hawks are now determined to compete in the East:
For now, the Hawks are determined to compete in the Eastern Conference and Millsap decision signals a shift away from unloading assets.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) January 9, 2017
The move comes as a surprise as it seemed like almost a foregone conclusion that Millsap would be traded. The Hawks are currently fourth in the East, but most see them well behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, and Boston Celtics.
Millsap being in the last year of his deal also makes it harder to trade him, and that could’ve played a factor as well. Teams are less likely to give up a lot of assets for someone who can leave at the end of the year.
Nevertheless, the Hawks will now keep their best player and look to make a dent in the Eastern Conference behind him, Dennis Schroeder, and Dwight Howard. Whether or not they can do so remains to be seen.
