ATLANTA — Quinn Snyder was in so much pain a few nights ago that he rushed himself to a hospital emergency room for the second time in a week. This came on the heels of his previous trip to the ER for a kidney stone that had to be “crushed” with shock waves because it was deemed too large to pass, and the procedure required a follow-up hospital visit to remove the stent, and then all seemed fine before the pain set in. Inflammation again that night.
This is not an ideal way for an NBA coach to spend his days before the draft and potential turnover of his team. Then again, given the Hawks’ off-season background, it almost feels appropriate.
“There must be some kind of metaphorical connection there, right?” Snyder joked an interview with the athlete. “It gives me great confidence that no matter what happens with the list, I’ll be fine. It couldn’t be more painful. Of course, I say that now, but time will tell.”
Next week’s NBA draft could end up being a footnote among potential Hawks transactions. The team is already in the luxury tax for next season with only 10 players under contract – that’s for a team that’s gone 84-80 with first round exits from the playoffs the past two years. It is reasonable to assume that everyone except goalkeeper Trae Young is at the table for trade talks. But that would be an improvement over time when a Young transfer was considered a possibility, before the star point guard openly embraced Snyder’s coaching after periodic fights with Lloyd Pierce and Nate McMillan.
But before we delve into what the Hawks might do over the next several weeks, it’s important to start with the question: Who’s responsible?
Snyder had been a respected head coach for eight seasons at Utah, until he finally felt the need for a break and a new challenge. The downtime was shorter than expected. He left ashore in Costa Rica to take over for the Hawks with two months left in the season after McMillan was fired. It was a stunning decision by both parties, but especially Snyder, who could have picked jobs after the season (including the Hawks) and the obvious negotiating leverage that comes with that.
It was widely believed that Snyder would not have come to Atlanta without absolute control of the roster, effectively above general manager Landry Fields, a youngster and running without the direction of first-time executive Travis Schlink.
Snyder categorically denies this. It’s just part of Hawkes’ “collaborative operation,” which has become an organizational buzzword, he insists.
“The only role I talked about with Landry, Kyle (assistant GM) and Korver when I agreed to come to Atlanta was coaching the team,” Snyder said.. “It’s what I love and it’s also what I’m passionate about. Any speculation about me having a more important role than providing input on personnel decisions is not accurate. I have complete confidence in Landry and his group to make those decisions. As I see it, my job is to maximize employee potential, no matter what. Individuals. This is where my focus lies. This speculation is wrong.”
Counterpoint: Two things can be true simultaneously: 1) Snyder never asked for a certain level of control; 2) Because of his resume, prestige, and job security not given to Pierce or Macmillan, he virtually beats Fields and answers only to Ressler.
Snyder rebutted: “That’s just a clever way of saying I have control even though I’m telling you I don’t. It’s a way of saying I’m going to influence and it’s not true. It’s not healthy. It’s not the partnership I wanted. I want to be supportive. I want to provide input.” And then I want to do my job. And I understand what you’re saying. But it’s not accurate.” (Snyder similarly denies accounts about why he left the Jazz, including that he didn’t want to be part of the rebuilding process.)
Ressler is the only individual with real control over the Hawks’ decisions. There has been a consistent level of front office dysfunction after the unexpected race to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021 and the unrealistic expectations that followed. His majority targeted the blame for the collapse, including in this corner. Ressler denied the prevailing narrative that his continued interference – and that of his son Nick – played a significant role in the Hawks’ decline in a somewhat hostile Q&A with the athlete.
But as the dust settled after several organizational changes, the team finished the season with a promising playoff series against the Celtics and Young taking Snyder’s way, things calmed down. for now.
Fields asserts that he is the man in charge of basketball operations. “Am I going to be perfect? Absolutely not,” he said. “But I promise you that any mistakes or successes we have, we will reverse.”
On the apparent difficulty and immensity of what he’s up against, Fields said, “When you use words like difficulty and immensity, I can understand that. But I don’t necessarily feel like that, and maybe that’s a good thing. I don’t feel the tremendous pressure of it all. It’s like the league The NBA is what it is, and you’re either built for it or you’re not.”
Every offseason is great. This looks bigger than usual, and has sparked a flurry of ridiculous NBA season trade rumors, including but not limited to:
• John Collins, a powerful defender who has been reduced in attack, is being aggressively marketed. (evergreen.)
• Dejounte Murray is available because the Hawks, who gave up massive assets to acquire him in a trade, could lose him for nothing in free agency after next season and he’s unlikely to sign an extension before going on the market.
• Center Clint Capela will be moved because although he has frame protection and can finish the pickups with Young, he makes more than $20m in earnings and Onyeka Okongwu is smaller and cheaper.
• De’Andre Hunter can be acquired because he hasn’t been static, he’s been injured a lot and he has a four-year extension, $90 million.
• Bogdan Bogdanovic provides shooting from the outside but is on the wrong side of the 30th, has a history of knee problems, and is guaranteed $52 million in the next three seasons.
I can go on. But you get the idea. The Hawks never entered a luxury tax, and they traded Kevin Huerter last year for a payroll dump to avoid it. As of today, their active roster cap of $170.5 million is $8.5 million in tax and equates to a tax bill of about $13.6 million (via Spotrac).
The Hawks need to cut back on payroll and get better. These two things rarely intersect in professional sports. Ask the hawks.
Their best hope is that Snyder’s training will improve the core of the roster, no matter what changes are made. Their best hope is that Snyder has already experienced his worst pain.
(Photo: Bryan Cereijo/Getty Images)