Landry Fields was humming a tune, but just wasn’t singing the lyrics. At the Hawks’ news conference Monday to introduce their three newest team members – 15th overall pick Kobe Bufkin from Michigan, 46th pick Seth Lundy from Penn State and draft-night trade acquisition Mouhamed Gueye (picked 39th by the Celtics out of Washington State) – the club’s general manager spoke with media about the three players and the offseason in general.
“We’ve got decisions to make on our own roster with some guarantee dates and then we also have free agency to get to, so that’s what I’m going to jet to right after talking to y’all,” he said.
Later, in response to a question about if he had a sense of where things were going regarding trades, Fields said that “I’m pretty sure of where things are going, but I will not share that right now.”
He wasn’t kidding about the “pretty sure” part. About two hours after declaring his intentions to jet and having relative certainty about where things were going, there was something to share, as news broke about the team’s trade of forward John Collins to the Utah Jazz for Rudy Gay and a future second-round pick. Collins, who it seemed had been the subject of trade rumors since flip phones were all the rage, is finally onto his next team (which may or may not be Utah) and the Hawks gained blessed breathing room beneath the salary cap.
This is very clearly about unloading Collins’ contract – he has three years and $78.5 million remaining – and not because the Hawks especially coveted Gay, a 36-year-old forward who last season averaged 5.2 points per game off the bench. His biggest contribution to the Hawks may be his relatively thrifty (by NBA standards) $6.4 million salary in the upcoming season.
With the trade, the Hawks are under the salary cap, can avoid paying the luxury tax that would come with being over it and can now take on salary up to $25.3 million (the value of Collins’ contract this upcoming season).
Fields went on to say that “we’ve got to be mindful of years ahead” regarding transactions that would reduce salary because of changes in the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement.
“And for us, the moment we’re able to shed salary, it actually gives us a lot more team-building opportunity,” he said.
And now, with three rookies on board, the first full offseason for Fields – named the GM last June – can officially begin. There may be more moves that he can make to unload pricey veterans like center Clint Capela ($20.6 million this upcoming season) or forward De’Andre Hunter ($20.1 million). But, even if Collins proves the sole Hawk to be shipped out, Fields has his opportunity to further place his stamp on the roster, to bring in players with the coveted “Hawks DNA” that he has promoted.
He’s found three players through the draft that he deems right for the team; now he can go find some free agents that also fit his template. Almost certainly, this isn’t a team that will be competing for a championship this coming season, but Fields now has the room to make a move that can help the Hawks do better than the play-in tournament, their home for the past two seasons.
Don’t expect star guard Dejounte Murray to be a trade possibility. Speaking of those prized genetic codes, Murray demonstrated after the draft that he had the double helixes that stamp him a Hawk. After Bufkin, Lundy and Gueye were picked or acquired, Murray reached out to each of them.
“He was telling me, ‘Congratulations, it’s time to get to work,’” Lundy said.
Fields said that it was a demonstration of Murray’s character and that it did not surprise him. That, 20.5 points per game and superior defensive chops have a way of taking a guy off the trade list. Fields said that teams have inquired about the six-year NBA vet who is going into the final year of his contract, but Fields has not had much of a listening ear.
“I want Dejounte here,” Fields said. “That’s a guy that has a ton of what we’re trying to build more with, so I look at (Murray’s reaching out to his new teammates) and go, ‘That’s great. That’s exactly what he’s always done, even from the day that we traded for him.’”
If Fields wants to find a way to re-sign Murray after this season, it’ll take moves like Monday’s and probably a few more on top of it.
If you’re wondering, franchise centerpiece Trae Young apparently did not reach out to the new Hawks. Lundy said that Murray was the only player to communicate with him. Bufkin said that Murray “and a couple of the other guys have reached out.” Young would seem to be identifiable beyond being an “other guy.”
Young obviously wasn’t obliged to call or text anyone – on draft night, he did offer a shoutout to all draftees from his Twitter account and then posted a congratulatory tweet to first overall pick Victor Wembanyama – but it’s interesting that Fields was as pleased with Murray doing so as he was. And, perhaps, it’s an indication of Murray’s interest in being a long-term Hawk that he extended his welcome.
A few words about Collins, who plied his trade for the first six years of his NBA career. He was a solid contributor, with career averages of 15.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Beyond that, despite the constant speculation that the team was trying to trade him, he was known for a carrying a positive attitude and being a healthy, even tone-setting, influence in the locker room. He was recognized for his work in the community.
His numbers dipped over the past three seasons, though his production this season may have been impacted by not having a clear role. He served the Hawks well, but it’s probably best for him and the team to part ways.
Timing-wise, it wasn’t ideal for Fields to agree to the terms of the Collins trade on a day when the club introduced its newest team members to local media. But, evidently, the next chapter couldn’t wait.
