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Atlanta Hawks Can’t Afford To Lose PF Paul Millsap In 2015 NBA Free Agency

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Paul Millsap

Daniel Shirey – USA TODAY Sports

Paul Millsap has had two straight impressive seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, and his value is very high heading into free agency this coming offseason. He didn’t have a great postseason performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers which could alter his value a bit, but it won’t be enough to be noticeable. There are plenty of teams that could use a player with Millsap’s ability, and he will receive a lot of interest on the open market.

At 30 years old, Millsap still has quite a bit of top-notch basketball left in him. He is more than capable of playing for another four or five seasons at a high level, and it will be interesting to see what type of deal he is wanting.

Looking ahead at free agency, there are quite a few teams that could use an upgrade at the power forward position. Millsap isn’t a normal power forward, as he can handle the basketball and get up the court quickly. That ability helped him fit into the Hawks’ system and makes him an option for nearly every team in the NBA.

During the 2014-15 season with the Hawks, Millsap ended up averaging 16.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He shot 47.6 percent from the field overall and 35.6 percent from behind the three-point arc.

Those numbers show exactly why he is considered to be one of the better free agents on the market. He has a complete all-around game and is capable of taking over games for his team if they need him to. Atlanta is going to do whatever they can to bring him back on a new deal, but there is a good chance that another team could swoop in and convince him to sign elsewhere.

Leaving the Hawks wouldn’t be an easy decision for him. They have offered him a perfect role in an offense that fits his game better than any other team can offer him.

Millsap will have quite a few contract offers on the table for him once free agency opens up. There will be teams calling him and registering different levels of interest in signing him, but if the Hawks are willing to offer him the same type of deal as others, he likely won’t be going anywhere. Atlanta knows that losing Millsap would set them back in a big way looking ahead to the 2015-16 season.

Free Agency Prediction: Millsap Re-Signs with Hawks

Evan Massey is a featured writer for www.RantSports.com, and contributes across the NFL, MLB, NCAA and NBA portions of the site. Follow him on Twitter at @Massey_Evan and like him on Facebook.

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