Hawks president Travis Schlenk stepping down to prioritize family

Atlanta Hawks president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk is stepping down from the position to move into a senior advisory role, the team announced on Wednesday.

General manager Landry Fields will oversee basketball operations. Fields was promoted to G.M. in June. Schlenk, 46, released a statement explaining his decision to prioritize family over his position as team president.

According to a few NBA betting sites, the Hawks have the 16th-best odds to win the championship in 2023. Check out which sportsbooks show better odds for the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers.

The Hawks officially announced that Travis Schlenk has stepped down as president of basketball operations pic.twitter.com/YNaBmSwHQL

— Lauren L. Williams (@WilliamsLaurenL) December 21, 2022

“Throughout this season, Tony [Hawks owner Tony Ressler] and I have had multiple, honest conversations about some of the personal things I’ve been going through and how I’ve been feeling, and I appreciate the counsel he has provided me as well as the opportunity he gave me six seasons ago to be a first-time general manager,” Schlenk said in the statement.

“As we enter a new year, the timing feels right for me to take a step back, reflect and prioritize my family. I am proud of the group I assembled both on the floor and in the front office. We have built a strong foundation for the Hawks franchise and achieved a high level of success. As an advisor, I look forward to working with Tony and Landry and continuing to make contributions in less visible but still impactful ways.”

Hawks president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk is stepping down, moving into a senior advisory role

Schlenk was hired in May 2017. Feedback all around has been mixed. In the 2017-18 season, the Hawks went 24-58 and finished dead last in the Eastern Conference standings under Mike Budenholzer, the coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Then, Atlanta went 29-53 under coach Lloyd Pierce in the following season. They ranked 12th in the East. Of course, the team finished 20-47 in the 2019-20 season. Although the Hawks remained below .500, at least Vince Carter won the NBA Sportsmanship Award in 2020.

Hawks announced Travis Schlenk “is stepping down from his position as president and transitioning to an advisor position reporting directly to Principal Owner Tony Ressler.”

Landry Fields will oversee the day-to-day operations of the Basketball Operations team.

Quotes here: pic.twitter.com/1qbOS29RQN

— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) December 21, 2022

In March 2021, the organization fired Pierce. And Nate McMillan has served as the team’s head coach since then. Under McMillan, the team is 86-65 in the regular season (2020–22). During that stretch, Atlanta is also 11-12 in the playoffs with the former Seattle SuperSonics star.

Through 31 games this season, the Hawks are 16-15 and rank seventh overall in the conference. They trail the Sixers and New York Knicks by two games for a higher seed.

Atlanta is averaging 114.3 points per game, which ranks 14th in the league. Their offensive efficiency rating (1.087) also ranks 19th. Plus, the Hawks are allowing 115.4 points per game, ranking 19th on the list. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray are their two best players, but the team is in dire need of another superstar similar to Young.