The Hawks reportedly told Paul Millsap over the summer they wouldn’t trade him. By January, he was firmly on the block. Then Atlanta told teams and, according to the player himself, Millsap he wouldn’t be traded.
With the trade deadline approaching, Hawks president/coach Mike Budenholzer provides the latest update.
Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Story to come. Asked Bud about Paul Millsap at trade deadline. “He’s not going anywhere. You can write that.”
— Chris Vivlamore (@CVivlamoreAJC) February 13, 2017
I don’t believe the Hawks would refuse to trade Millsap if another team offers a package Atlanta deems more valuable than Millsap. I believe the Hawks, having discussed Millsap trades for months, are confident that offer isn’t coming.
Maybe that’s because they value Millsap’s on-court contributions more than any other team does. Maybe that’s because he pledged to re-sign. Maybe that’s because they like their Plan B if he walks this summer.
But whether or not the Hawks trade Millsap won’t be a test of them honoring their commitment. It’ll be a test of whether they correctly predicted a trade market that includes no suitable offers for Millsap.
