After spending 16 seasons in the NBA, former Atlanta Hawks standout Paul Millsap has officially retired, per ESPN senior insider Shams Charania.
After 16 NBA seasons, four-time All-Star Paul Millsap has retired from basketball. Millsap, the No. 47 pick in the 2006 NBA draft, spent his career with the Jazz, Hawks, Nuggets, Nets and 76ers. One of eight players all-time with 500 3-pointers, 1,000 blocks and 1,000 steals. pic.twitter.com/gftfvGHgnf
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 3, 2024
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Selected 47th overall by the Utah Jazz as a member of the 2006 NBA Draft, Millsap spent his first seven seasons with a squad headlined by Deron Williams. After Williams was traded in 2010-11, Millsap played just two more seasons for the Jazz, who were then led by Al Jefferson. Signing with the Hawks in the 2013 offseason, Millsap went on to earn four All-Star selections while playing in Atlanta.
Former Hawks All-Star Paul Millsap Chooses Retirement
It’s fair to say that Millsap’s stint with the Hawks was the most important of his career.
He spent more time with the Jazz than any franchise. There, he grew into his own as a player, eventually becoming one of the league’s better scorers, particularly among frontcourt players. He also got to experience five playoff runs, including a trip to the Western Conference Finals in his rookie year. However, he wasn’t able to achieve much individual success because Utah already had a franchise power forward in Carlos Boozer.
After Millsap left Atlanta, he played for the Denver Nuggets for four seasons. By then, he was already in early 30s, just past his physical prime. The Nuggets valued his skill, experience, toughness, and leadership. Nonetheless, he was a role players in those years, helping Denver reach the playoffs on three occasions.
Then, in the twilight of his career, he joined the Brooklyn Nets and was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. Aside from the drama surrounding both the Nets and Sixers, it was the most forgettable season of his career. Millsap was at the bottom of Brooklyn’s rotation and his playing time was even more infrequent in Philadelphia.
What he achieved with the Hawks overshadows all of that.
The Best Stretch Of His Career
Upon leaving the Jazz, Millsap was already considered a borderline All-Star talent. He was a capable defender, assertive rebounder, and had a nice jumper. In that era, his lack of a true position was seen as more of a negative than positive. However, nobody could deny the benefits of his versatility.
So, the Hawks offered him a two-year, $19 million contract. He then exceeded all expectations, becoming not just a key starter but a perennial All-Star under Mike Budenholzer. In fact, Millsap averaged the Hawks’ highest number of points, rebounds, and steals in 2014-15 as they won a franchise-record 60 games. So, in 2015, they upped the ante with a three-year contract worth $59 million.
Not bad for their best player.
To that point, Millsap actually had the Atlanta’s highest scoring average in all but his first season with the team. Of course, it’s not all about putting up points. Nonetheless, he and Al Horford were the team’s leaders, and he was the most dynamic.
He was never able to make it past the conference finals while with the Hawks, similar to his stints with the Jazz and Nuggets. Still, his talent was being appreciated in ways that it hadn’t been up to that point.
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