A Quick One While I'm Away: 10 (Large x Large) in Cap Space

The Hawks round out the list of teams with over 10 million free in cap space. That money could buy, like, one Larry Johnson or three Howard Johnsons. 10 million is, in fact, a bit deceptively small, as the Hawks have no number one pick to eat into their remaining cap. This fact certainly makes the Patrick Kerney signing a bit more palatable, and puts them in strong position if someone of value (say, Mewelde Moore or Alex Brown) becomes available over the next six weeks.

It's another testament to Ruskell's intelligent handling of the cap, puts us in strong position to resign Sean Locklear next off season, and though many of us would have loved to see an upgrade at guard, is, at least partially, a product of Ruskell's restraint. He wisely avoided an absurd guard market that saw inanimate carbon blob (to mix Simpsons' references) Leonard Davis getting paid like a phrenologist in antebellum Woonsocket.

This is small beer in the big picture and won't win us any games in September, but one more article of evidence that the Hawks' GM is not only one of the league's premier talent evaluators, but cap savvy as hell.