The Atlanta Hawks did not sign Dwight Howard. The Atlanta Hawks did not re-sign Josh Smith. The team has several big offseason moves planned with free agency and so far, none of them have panned out as successful. Instead general manager Danny Ferry has had to settle on second-choice options. After signing Paul Millsap and re-signing Kyle Korver, the Hawks next target will be Monta Ellis.
ESPN.com reports the Hawks like the idea of Ellis since point guard Jeff Teague may or may not be leaving. The restricted free agent has garnered some attention from teams so Atlanta is preparing just in case. The Hawks are about $10 million under the salary cap. They intend on signing possibly two more players with Ellis the main target.
Ellis first fell on the Hawks' radar during the regular season. The team attempted to put together a trade but nothing worked out and the trade deadline came and went with Ellis going nowhere. Now that Hawks are back at it with the point guard.
Atlanta appears more likely to give Ellis a short-term deal. They signed Millsap to a two-year, $19 million contract and Ellis would receive about the team. This will allow Atlanta to have enough talent on the team to possibly get to the playoffs, while still being able to afford bigger players in the future. Ellis will command a long-term deal. He originally turned down a two-year extension with the Milwaukee Bucks worth $24 million. He would like to secure a longer contract even if it means less money per season.
The Hawks also have their eyes on Andrew Bynum. The center is a bit of an unknown after missing the entire 2012-13 season with chronic knee issues. Atlanta would like another center to pair with Al Horford. Bynum would give the team much needed depth. Atlanta has only briefly dipped a toe in the Bynum pool. They will likely scout the center to see if he is truly healthy enough to play next season for a team and then go from there.
At this moment, Atlanta's next move appears geared towards Ellis. The point guard is also getting attention from the Denver Nuggets and the Dallas Mavericks. If Denver is more willing to give Ellis a long-term, Atlanta will miss out on yet another free agent.
