Atlanta Hawks Rumors: Will The Team Have A New Uniform Next Season? by Ryan Donoho

The Atlanta Hawks are still very much engaged in free agency with money to spend and could be targeting Shawn Marion, according to Andrew Melnick of FanSided.com.

The 36-year-old Marion played for the Dallas Mavericks last season and posted season averages of 10.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game with a player efficiency rating of 13.78.

Marion was hoping to either re-sign with the Mavs or ink a contract with championship contender. The Mavs seem to no longer be in the market for Marion after signing Chandler Parson to a three-year $46 million deal, while championship contenders have yet to express interest in the former Dallas forward.

Over the last few days, Marion has been linked to the Lakers as a potential destination. The holdup on him, according to reports, is the issue of money. Marion believes he deserves a decent pay day rather than something like the bi-annual exception which may be the reason he has not garnered much interest.

As Melnick states in his articles, the Hawks are still engaged in free agency and do have the necessary cap room to potentially lure Marion to Atlanta.

Shawn Marion wants too much money and for that reason alone the Atlanta Hawks should pass on him.

Although the cap room is available the Hawks should not, I repeat, should not sign Shawn Marion.

One of the reasons Atlanta should not consider signing Marion is because money has been an issue for him so far in the free agency process. The Hawks would be foolish to jeopardize their financial flexibility by signing an aging veteran for something he is not worth.

Hawks General Manager Danny Ferry has been very financially responsible in his brief stint with Atlanta and a move like this would not only come as a shock but would also jeopardize his reputation.

Marion might be worth the bi-annual exception, which could be a decent deal for the Hawks, but fit wise, he doesn’t make sense since Atlanta recently inked veteran swingman Thabo Sefolosha.

Sefolosha is a defensive minded player, much like Marion, which would make a signing of the former Mavs forward useless as he would fill the same role.

While it can be useful to have two players that fill the same role, the Hawks already seemingly have that covered with DeMarre Carroll and his defense prowess.

Having three players who fill the same role would be redundant, not to mention that there would be a huge minutes crunch at the 3 considering Kyle Korver also spends time there.

The Hawks already have this problem down low and would be creating a similar situation on the wing.

Shawn Marion also doesn’t address the issue of size on the wings for Atlanta. One reason the Hawks sought the likes of Luol Deng, and to a lesser extent Gordon Hayward, was because of their size. At 6’7″, Marion is considered a smaller 3. The team was looking for size and scoring at the 3, as Jared Johnson from Bleacher Report touched on, and Marion simply will not fill that role.

Additionally, with Marion aging, his ability as being a great defender is diminishing as he loses his athleticism with age.

Atlanta’s roster is pretty full at the moment, with 11 players on contract not including 2014 first-round draft pick Adreian Payne and restricted free agents Mike Scott and Shelvin Mack.

While there is still one additional roster spot available if all three are signed, the Hawks would be foolish if they used it on an aging Marion.

Marion is looking for a contract in the neighborhood of the mid-level exception, something he is clearly not worth. By signing him, the Hawks would be losing financial flexibility, creating redundancies in the roster, and be on the books for a player who is only a shell of his former self.

What do you think? … Should the Atlanta Hawks look into signing Shawn Marion? … Post your answer in the comments section below!

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