大意：
雖然連續好幾年都打進季後賽，但觀眾不捧場，Ferry決定更大舉地清出薪資空間來，
球隊陣容中比較需要補強的SF在市場上有不少可以考慮的對象，要是能夠抓到大咖，
加上球隊陣中本來就有幾個明星賽等級的主力球員跟年輕好用的小夥子，這是老鷹振
翅高飛的好機會呀！
PS.Salmons的帳面薪資7M，但只要現在把他waive掉，只有1M的保障薪資要付。
Time For Atlanta Hawks To Lure Marquee Player
http://ppt.cc/wOCb
The Atlanta Hawks’ current streak of seven consecutive playoff appearances
becomes even more impressive when you consider that it has remained intact
despite numerous coaching changes, front office regime shifts and rotating
leading men at the top of the lineup.
The upcoming 2014-15 campaign will be the third for president of basketball
operations and general manager Danny Ferry at the helm of the franchise. One
thing about Ferry’s tenure in Atlanta is becoming increasingly clear – the
man can create cap room.
When Ferry was hired before the start of the 2013 season, he immediately (and
some would say surprisingly) found takers for the contracts of Joe Johnson
(Brooklyn) and Marvin Williams (Utah). The moves gave Atlanta plenty of
future financial flexibility, while keeping the remaining core of talent in
place to continue the playoff run.
On Sunday, news broke that the Hawks decided to trade high-scoring guard Lou
Williams and 2013 first-round pick Lucas Nogueira to the Toronto Raptors in
exchange for veteran forward John Salmons.
The move is a salary dump, as the Hawks will likely waive Salmons, whose $7
million deal for next season is only guaranteed for $1 million. Nogueira
never logged a minute with the Hawks in the regular season.
If the Hawks waive Salmons, as expected, the team will likely enter free
agency with over $17 million in salary cap room to add additional assets.
Once again, Ferry has shown his ability to keep the Hawks financially
flexible under his leadership, but now the question must shift to whether the
veteran executive has what it takes to lure a marquee player to Atlanta.
During the Hawks’ ongoing playoff run, the franchise has failed to finish in
the top 15 in league attendance. If you take a poll of Hawks fans, the reason
is because of the franchise’s inability to attract a superstar to the club
or become a hotbed free agent destination.
By no means is this Ferry’s fault alone. The franchise is haunted by past
draft mistakes that missed elite talent, embarrassing playoff performances
and the club routinely finds itself as a punchline by mainstream media.
Free agency is set to begin on July 1 and the Hawks will need to address
their depth at small forward. There are huge names on the market at the
position such as Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James. In the middle tier,
players such as Chandler Parsons, Gordon Hayward, Luol Deng and Trevor Ariza
are potential difference makers at the three. There are also players who may
be available via trade, such as All-Star forward Kevin Love, who is rumored
to be up for grabs (even though he’s a power forward).
The Hawks are arguably in their strongest position ever to make a splash in
the open market. The team has cap space, multiple All-Star caliber players on
the roster, a solid group of young assets and fan momentum from their
first-round performance versus the Indiana Pacers.
As currently constructed, there is nothing stopping the Hawks from making an
eighth straight playoff appearance in 2015. But if the Hawks are daring to be
great, the stage is set, the script is ready and the fans are waiting for
that marquee player to help push the team into the realm of the elite.
The question is: Can Ferry pull off the fairytale ending by making the most
of the cap space he just created?