The New York Knicks aren’t going to be the only team heading into this summer with big plans and a lot of cap space, and they’re definitely not the only team that is going to have more than just an interest in bringing in star Warriors forward Kevin Durant.
The Atlanta Hawks are a young team with a lot to look forward in the future. Trae Young has come around as of late, averaging 24, 4, 9 over his last 15 games shooting 43 percent from deep. Kevin Huerter and John Collins have also been great for a Hawks team that is seemingly building something special. Atlanta will have about $41 million in cap space this summer, and are expecting to make a run at Durant, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Yet for Atlanta’s purposes, Young’s progression has been positive enough to inspire a rethinking about this coming summer in which they’ll have approximately $41 million in salary cap space. According to a source with knowledge of their thinking, the Hawks are so bullish on the development of Young, fellow rookie Kevin Huerter and second-year big man John Collins that they want to explore even the biggest and boldest of offseason plans.
Translation: They’re planning to pursue meetings with the best-of-the-best in free agency when July 1 rolls around. It’s a half-court shot of sorts, to be sure, but they’d love nothing more than to fire that pitch to everyone from Kevin Durant on down.
The Warriors will obviously do everything they can to keep Durant with the Warriors — and the brand new Chase Center in San Francisco is a really nice selling point along with the fact that, if he stays long term, the Warriors remain the team to beat in the NBA for the next few years.
Competition to retain Durant’s services will be steep, though. The Knicks have the allure of New York, Madison Square Garden and the ability to bring in a title for the first time since 1973. The Lakers are going to give everything they have to bring in Durant, and while Magic Johnson may not be the best at maneuvering the NBA in-season, he is still one of the league’s best salesmen, and his charisma could convince just about anyone to join him in Los Angeles.
The Hawks, despite everything they have going for them, ultimately feels like a long shot, but it’s great for the franchise that they’ve put themselves in a position to even consider bringing in a guy like Durant. And considering how deep this year’s free agency class is, there’s a good chance that Atlanta could land a star to play alongside their youth movement to make some real noise in the Eastern Conference.
