Hawks receive “A” offseason grade from ESPN

The NBA offseason has winded down as we head towards training camp for the 2021-22 season. With that being said, national outlets are handing down offseason grades. Kevin Pelton of ESPN gave the Atlanta Hawks an “A” grade for their moves this offseason, highlighting the retaining of John Collins and Nate McMillan, among other moves:

Although it was a relatively quiet offseason for the Hawks, I liked the way they tweaked their bench after last season’s unexpected run to the Eastern Conference finals. Atlanta swapped little-used Kris Dunn and Bruno Fernando for top-tier backup point guard Delon Wright and added Gorgui Dieng on a one-year, $4 million deal to fill in at backup center while Onyeka Okongwu recovers from shoulder surgery.

The Hawks also ensured their core stays together by re-signing restricted free agent John Collins to a five-year, $125 million deal without much drama and extending Trae Young as a designated player. Add in a long-term contract for coach Nate McMillan, removing his interim tag, and Atlanta wisely rewarded key contributors to the playoff run.

Pelton notes the upgrades to the rotation in Wright and Dieng on top of the Hawks locking up cornerstones such as Collins, McMillan and Young. We are now less than four weeks away from the start of training camp, as players are set to report on Sept. 28. Atlanta and President/GM Travis Schlenk have received rave reviews for both their efforts in the 2021 NBA Draft when they acquired Jalen Johnson and Sharife Cooper as well as other roster moves they made over the Summer following their run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Stay tuned.