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Atlanta Hawks Evaluations: General Manager Travis Schlenk

Travis Schlenk just finished his third season in Atlanta.

Pat Benson

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In this story:

End of the Year Grades

Preseason - A

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Entering the 2021-22 season, Travis Schlenk enjoyed high approval ratings in Atlanta. In just two seasons with the organization, he turned a rebuilding project into a team that came two wins short of winning the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals.

Just as fans wanted, Schlenk locked up the young core through a series of contract extensions throughout the summer and fall of 2021. When Media Day rolled around, the roster was almost finalized. The final decision was choosing between Jahlil Okafor and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot for the 15th and final spot.

The front office and coaching staff made the right decision by going with 'TLC.' The veteran journeyman offered adequate perimeter defense and was more malleable on the roster. 

Covid - A+

Lance Stephenson's contract with Atlanta Hawks has expired.
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Trae Young became the Hawks player to enter NBA Health & Safety protocols on December 19. From there, the highly contagious virus spread like wildfire in the locker room. Every player (including some coaches and team personnel) except for De'Andre Hunter eventually tested positive for Covid. At one point, 13 Hawks players were in the protocols at the same time.

No games were postponed due to the Hawks' players' absences, which forced Travis Schlenk to sign a slew of G-League players and free agents to 10-day contracts. At one point, the Hawks had the largest roster in NBA history.

This unprecedented challenge came while De'Andre Hunter and Onyeka Okongwu were both out with injuries. Kudos to every level of the Hawks organization for how they handled this crisis.

Trade Deadline - D

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The Hawks dropped six of their first seven games in January, which prompted Travis Schlenk to give a blistering interview on 92.9 FM The Game. One week after the Schlenk dropped the diss track, he finally cut bait on Cam Reddish.

Despite serious negotiations with the Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, and most notably, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Hawks let the trade deadline pass without adding anything to their team. To make matters worse, most of the Eastern Conference used the trade deadline as an opportunity to reload before making a playoff push.

Schlenk explained that the team was on a hot streak, and he still believed in them. "We know this group has the ability to be successful, as we saw last year. And we want to give them that opportunity to prove it to the world they can do it again."

Of course, no trade is better than a bad trade (hence the grade). But for a team that was within reach of the NBA Finals to punt on the following trade deadline is unacceptable. The Hawks cannot afford to let another opportunity slip away this offseason.

Final Grade - B

Trae Young standing beside Nate McMillan.
© Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

There is plenty of blame to go around for the 2021-22 season falling short of its expectations. While Travis Schlenk could have done better at the trade deadline, it's hard to fault him for anything else.

The true test for Schlenk will come this summer when the Hawks must squeeze improvements out of a situation with little flexibility. Only Trae Young is untouchable; every other player and coach is up for review - which coincidentally is what I'll be doing over the next couple of weeks. 

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the Atlanta Hawks for Sports Illustrated's All Hawks. He has covered the NBA for several years and is the author of "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)".

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