ATLANTA — The Atlanta Hawks might have revealed their blueprint for the 2013 and 2014 offseasons on Thursday night, without publicly divulging any grand plans along the way.
By acquiring/drafting a pair of supremely athletic, but unpolished talents from overseas — neither of whom are locks to be in Atlanta next season — the Hawks, using deductive reasoning, are saving every last penny for a July spending spree that will likely include Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, David West, Monta Ellis, Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson, Jose Calderon or Andre Iguodala as targets, among others.
And if that game plan isn't fully executed this summer, the Hawks might be positioned for a dual-purpose, fall-back strategy of getting a high-end pick in June 2014 (potentially a watershed draft) ... and having plenty of cap space to pursue elite free agents like LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Pau Gasol, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Zach Randolph or Kyrie Irving that July.
Not bad for a franchise that was hamstrung by two bloated contracts (Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams) on this date last year.
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Atlanta's draft-night acquisitions from Round 1, Brazilian big man Lucas Nogueira (No. 16 pick, via trade) and German guard Dennis Schroeder (No. 17 overall), could become just the fourth and fifth players under contract with the Hawks next season. Officially, only Al Horford, Louis Williams and John Jenkins are in the fold for 2013-14.
"I love that (Schroeder) is tenacious. He can shoot the ball at a good level," said Hawks GM Danny Ferry on Thursday, before the Round 2 acquisition of Mike Muscala (Bucknell). "He's a good, two-way player who can play at a high level."
At 6-foot-2 and 165 pounds, Schroeder has elicited physical comparisons to a young Rajon Rondo (think freshman season at Kentucky), given the teenager's speed, quickness, leaping ability and prodigious first step before the dribble.
On the flip side, it's hard to envision Schroeder (varying levels of success in Germany-based pro leagues last season) logging substantial minutes at the NBA level next year, even if the Hawks don't re-sign free agents Jeff Teague (restricted) or Devin Harris (unrestricted) over the summer.
In fact, Ferry wouldn't even commit an answer to whether Schroeder would join Atlanta in the fall ... or if he'll remain in Europe for another year or two of seasoning.
"He's a young player who still needs to develop," said Ferry. "And we'll continue to invest and develop our players."
About an hour after he was drafted, Schroeder conversed with the Atlanta media, via Skype. In his opening remarks, the teen expressed surprise — and joy — over being selected by a team that never worked him out.
"I didn't expect it, but I'm very glad they picked me," said Schroeder, who admits to being an avid NBA watcher and lists Chris Paul as his favorite player.
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The book on Nogueira is a little more expansive than Schroeder's, but an incomplete tome nevertheless.
At 7-foot and 225 pounds, the 20-year-old Nogueira averaged a mere 5.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks with Asefa Estudiantes Madrid (Spain) last season, while logging 32 minutes per outing. According to an NBA PR guide, Nogueira originally burst onto the scene at the 2011 Nike Hoop Summit, demonstrating uncommon athleticism for a center prospect.
Then, at the FIBA Americas Under-18 tournament two years ago, he notched 22 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks against the United States in the gold medal game (against the likes of Kyrie Irving and Austin Rivers).
According to one scouting publication, "Nogueira’s 7-foot, 5-inch wingspan makes him an excellent defensive player and has encouraged comparisons between (to) Marcus Camby."
"Lucas has a tremendous level of talent and charisma, as well," said Ferry, while gushing over Nogueira's intelligence, impressive length, selflessness and ability to finish around the rim. "Hopefully, we drafted well."
Regarding the 2013-14 statuses of Nogueira and Schroeder, Ferry was less forthcoming.
"There's a lot of decisions that still have to be made — working with agents, working with players, diving into free agency," he said.
The conversation then turned to the long-range plan for Teague.
"Jeff was an important part of our roster last year," said Ferry, adding that he "absolutely" wants to speak with Teague and his representatives in the near future. (Free agency begins on July 1.)
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The NBA's salary cap for 2013-14 is projected to be around $70.6 million, incrementally higher than last season. The signed trio of Horford, Jenkins and Williams will account for roughly $19 million, or 27 percent of the cap.
Factoring in the potential re-signings of restricted free agents Teague ($3.5 million) and Ivan Johnson ($1.2 million), that leaves Atlanta with essentially $45 million to play with this summer — minus the salary commitments to the Hawks' back-to-back first-rounders.
The odds of landing Howard (Lakers), Paul (Clippers), West (Pacers) or Iguodala (Nuggets) vary for the Hawks, depending on each star's willingness to accept a four-year contract from a new team or demand a sign-and-trade deal with their current club (five years, presumably max money).
But as the smoke clears on this draft and the second season under a new Collective Bargaining Agreement — with more punitive measures for the teams exceeding the salary cap in Year 3 — Atlanta currently sits in the catbird seat of having enough flexibility to sign three top-notch veterans to elite-level contracts.
That is, if they even choose that path next month. Given the Hawks' roster uncertainty, the club may invoke a wait-and-see approach to everything, using the available funds to leverage teams that are stuck between a rock and a hard place with stars ... and their suddenly untenable salaries.
"Obviously, a lot of work (and planning) has gone into this night," said Ferry, an executive with intimate knowledge of the Spurs' methodologies for building a viable contender over the long term.
With a roster that currently poses more questions than answers, the work's just beginning for Ferry and friends.
