Larry Drew did not have a terrible career in Atlanta. In the last three years he guided the Hawks to the playoffs each season. Yet, Drew is preparing to not be retained when his contract comes to an end in June. General manager Danny Ferry has remained coy on the overall status of Drew, leaving many to believe he will get axed in due time. With Drew potentially hitting the market, several teams are showing interest.
Drew stepped in for the fired Mike Woodson three years ago and the Hawks found mild success. He went 128-102 overall. This past season the Hawks secured the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference after going 44-38. Drew was able to find success without super star Joe Johnson who departed for the Brooklyn Nets, without Lou Williams who tore his ACL and without Zaza Pachulia who was out with an Achilles injury. Some experts had Drew as a coach of the year after he handled the depleted roster that was in Atlanta.
Yet, the NBA is a business and the Hawks have to make some decisions. It is expected that Ferry will let Drew go. Most sources same the chances Ferry re-signs Drew to an extension are slim to none. So where does that leave the coach after his time in Atlanta is up?
There are plenty of suitors for Drew. The Philadelphia 76ers reportedly have him at the top of their list. They recently lost Doug Collins who resigned one day after the regular season. The team is aware of Drew's success and his love for coaching. They see him as having great potential as a head coach. The Brooklyn Nets would be another possible candidate for Drew. They recently fired PJ Carlesimo and were rejected by Phil Jackson, leaving the door open for other possible candidates.
The firing of Drew could be just the first step in the overhauling of the Hawks. Froward Josh Smith is set to become a free agent in the summer and will likely seek a maximum contract. The Hawks tried several times to trade Smith away before the deadline during the regular season and will likely let him walk. The only players with guaranteed contracts are Al Horford, Lou Williams and John Jenkins. The Hwks will around $40 million of cap space to work with.