One major hurdle is the salary cap space available and it doesn’t look good. The front office has around $5 million available, not exactly the number big name players are looking for, especially with the new TV money, but that doesn’t mean their summer is finished, at least if the latest rumors are true.
There’s been plenty of speculation in recent weeks involving the franchise and their need for a power forward. Reports have Blake Griffin as a possibility, but stripping away the bench to acquire the All Star forward doesn’t make a ton of sense.
Now reports have surfaced that general manager Masai Ujiri is eyeing Paul Millsap of Atlanta, a move that has been on social media for nearly a year. It seems Ujiri tried working out a deal last summer and around NBA Draft week to acquire the 31-year-old, but to no avail.
These reports resurfaced earlier this month on Fan Sided as Demar Grant wrote a piece on how and why the team could get the versatile forward. The deal would involve moving at least two role players and possibly a draft pick, but adding a scoring threat in the paint and a player that is terrific on the defensive end of the court, could be the move needed to beat Cleveland next season.
The former second round pick out of Louisiana Tech averaged 17 points and 9 rebounds last season for the Hawks. His last three years in the league show comparable numbers, but his best asset is on defense where he’s averaged nearly two blocks and two steals per game, numbers that would definitely benefit Toronto.
This time of year has slow news days for basketball and social media heats up with trade rumors, but in this case, Atlanta doesn’t want their power forward walking next summer and receive nothing in return, meaning a deal could happen and it makes sense for these two sides to pull the trigger on a deal, making it a win-win for both franchises.
