Report: Suns and Hawks have ‘pondered’ trade involving Paul Millsap
Jul 1, 2016, 9:13 PM | Updated: Jul 2, 2016, 4:35 pm
Atlanta Hawks Paul Millsap shoots for two over Boston Celtics Jae Crowder during the first half in Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series in Boston on Sunday, April 24, 2016. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
(Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
The Phoenix Suns addressed a major need at power forward on the first day of free agency Friday, with former Sun Jared Dudley expected to sign for three years.
Less than two hours later, however, a report was made that a trade involving the Suns and the Atlanta Hawks involving All-Star power forward Paul Millsap was being “pondered.”
According to sources, a trade that's been pondered in recent days featured Hawks forward Paul Millsap and collection of picks owned by Suns.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 2, 2016
Millsap, 31, is coming off arguably his best season in the NBA. His 17.1 points and nine rebounds per game earned him his third straight All-Star nod. He also made the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team for the first time in his career.
The Atlanta Hawks reportedly signed Dwight Howard and Kent Bazemore Friday, leaving them without enough cap room to sign their own unrestricted free agent Al Horford based on the reported numbers.
Millsap will earn over $20 million the next two seasons if he were to accept a player option for the 2017-18 season.
The Suns recently selected power forwards Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss in the top-1o of the 2016 NBA Draft. They own all of their future draft picks, and have Miami’s top-7 protected 2018 first-round pick and 2021 unprotected first round pick from the Goran Dragic trade.
