A closer look at the Atlanta Hawks' current roster situation

As the free agency period winds itself down, here is a look at what the Atlanta Hawks roster is shaping up to look like heading into training camp.

Point Guard

Despite some rumbles from around the internet that the Hawks aren't completely sold on him, Jeff Teague is as entrenched as the Hawks' starter at point guard as you can get. However, who will be his primary back up still isn't quite clear. Last year's backup Shelvin Mack is currently waiting out restricted free agency. Indications are the team would like to have him back but it remains to be seen how far they would go to match an offer should a team sign him to an offer sheet.

Second-year guard Dennis Schröder showed growth in summer league but is still raw and unproven. Still Schröder won the backup job in training camp last season before losing it early on in the season. This will be a battle to keep an eye on once the preseason starts.

For now it looks like its essentially a three player race with Lou Williams having been moved to Toronto. Should Mack go elsewhere, the Hawks could look to bring in some point guards at training camp to compete for the third string job.

Shooting Guard

When talking about the shooting guard and small forward positions it is important to point out that these positions are interchangeable in many ways in Mike Budenholzer's offense. For this breakdown I am going to keep things traditional but keep in mind that these players will appear in multiple lineups.

Kyle Korver is coming off one of the best shooting seasons in NBA history and is entrenched as the starter. Lou Williams was packaged off to Toronto during the offseason and in his place is Kent Bazemore who split last season with the Warriors and the Lakers. One of Atlanta's stated goals for the offseason was to add to its wing depth particularly on the defensive end of the floor. Bazemore is a good athlete who appears to fit that bill.

Behind Bazemore is third-year guard John Jenkins who is still trying to recover from back surgery. He saw limited action in summer league and frankly didn't look right while he was out there. Still there is time between now and training camp but Jenkins has a lot of ground to make up and his future could be at stake.

Small Forward

Depth at the small forward position has been a problem ever since they traded Marvin Williams and Joe Johnson during Danny Ferry's first season in charge. DeMarre Carroll was brought in last season to little fan fare and had an excellent season as the team's starter. The Hawks added veteran Thabo Sefolosha to the mix this offseason who is looking to bounce back from an injury plagued 2014 season.

Korver will also likely see some minutes at small forward but Budenholzer will have more size and versatility to work with on the wing this season.

Power Forward

Paul Millsap was the best bargain signing of last offseason and turned in an All-Star season for the Hawks but what is behind him could be somewhat in flux. Mike Scott enjoyed a breakout campaign as a second-year player averaging a career-best 9.6 points on 48 percent shooting off the bench. He added the three-point shot to his arsenal and fit perfectly into what Atlanta was trying to do offensively. Like Mack, indications are the Hawks would like to have Scott back but there was some sentiment around the league that he could be had with a creative offer.

Atlanta selected Adreian Payne with the 15th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft and he will also likely figure into the frontcourt picture. Payne is a little more well rounded than Scott but lacks the explosiveness offensively. Payne also has an edge in size and could see some time at the center position in some alignments.

I don't think it is an either/or proposition for Scott or Payne quite yet. Provided Scott is back, this will be another intriguing training camp battle to watch in the fall.

Center

Perhaps the best news for the Atlanta Hawks this offseason is that center Al Horford is on track to be ready to go when training camp gets underway. Atlanta's center position was thrown in flux when Horford went down just 29 games into the season with a pectoral tear. He will be back and he will again be a key piece at both ends of the floor for the Hawks.

Behind Horford currently is Pero Antic and second-year player Mike Muscala. Antic was pressed into duty in the wake of Horford's injury but the plan was never for him to log as many minutes as he did in 2014. Budenholzer has consistently lauded Antic's basketball IQ and he will be a good fit as a reserve. Muscala had a great summer league but he will need to keep that momentum up in training camp.

This is an area where Ferry could opt to add more depth. Elton Brand spent the 2014 season with the Hawks but is an unrestricted free agent this summer. A veteran, defensive center could be a welcome addition to the frontcourt.

As was the case with the wings, many of the frontcourt is interchangeable. Budenholzer showed an affinity for the small lineup last season especially after the loss of Horford so it won't be a stretch to see a guy like Payne at center. Horford and Muscala also have the ability to lineup at power forward should he need to go big.

Others

Currently the Hawks have agreements in place with 12 players on their current roster. Mike Muscala's deal for this season is partially guaranteed but it looks unlikely that he'd be going anywhere coming off a strong summer league. Put Mack and Scott back in the picture and that brings the total to 14. If Ferry opts to bring in another center then that puts them at the regular season roster max of 15.

That is the situation second-round pick Lamar Patterson is probably facing heading to training camp. Patterson averaged 6.0 points at summer league but shot just 34 percent from the field and just 26 percent from three-point range. He didn't do anything to separate himself from the pack and will be fighting an uphill battle to earn a roster spot.

Atlanta's roster situation is still flexible enough to add a new player to the mix but at this point it looks like there is just fine tuning left to be done.