Hawks GM: 'Absolutely our goal' to keep Millsap long term

NBA front offices and fans salivating at the thought of acquiring Paul Millsap this season may have to slow their roll.

Though Millsap can opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent at season's end, making him a logical trade candidate for an Atlanta Hawks team that just lost longtime cornerstone Al Horford, Hawks general manager Wes Wilcox says he has no intention of dealing his All-Star power forward.

"Paul is a great professional, and it's absolutely our goal for Paul to be a Hawk long term," Wilcox told Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "It's as simple as that."

Millsap has spent three seasons in Atlanta and has been named an All-Star in each. He averaged 17.1 points, nine rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.7 blocks last season while being named to his first-ever All-Defensive second team. He's entering the second year of a three-year, $60-million deal, with a player option for 2017-18.

The Hawks signed Dwight Howard this summer to mitigate the loss of Horford, but that move will force them to adjust their style considerably. If they consequently take a step back, Wilcox may have no choice but to explore trading Millsap while he can still get some sort of return.