Monta Ellis was the leading scorer for the Mavericks last season, but that doesn’t mean the team is exactly eager to have him back.
After opting out of the final year of a contract that would have paid him $8.72 million next season, Dallas reportedly won’t offer him an increase to return. And, his moodiness both on and off the court contributed to chemistry issues that were a contributing factor in the Mavericks failing to reach their potential last season.
There are scenarios where Ellis returning to the Mavericks may make sense for both sides. But for now, he’ll shop around a bit in free agency, and Atlanta is reportedly a team that may have some interest.
From Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas:
The Hawks are interesting, mainly because of the fact that the team that won 60 games during the regular season before stumbling to the Eastern Conference finals is facing so much uncertainty with its roster.
Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll are both unrestricted free agents, and it’s unclear if Atlanta will commit the dollars to both players that they’ll be able to earn by testing the market. Kyle Korver is recovering from multiple injuries which required surgery, and reserve Pero Antic is already gone.
The Hawks were world-beaters the first half of the season, but teams caught up with them as the year progressed. They could use some additional shot creation on the offensive end of the floor, which Ellis is certainly capable of providing. But it probably depends on what the rest of the team looks like before Atlanta considers the move, because it would be a fairly drastic change to what worked so well for the bulk of the previous season.
