The Hawks have made a habit of squeezing more out of their players, and that development track has already produced some big individual leaps. Jalen Johnson has improved year after year, turning that climb into his first All-Star nod and an All-NBA honor.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker then followed with a Most Improved Player season after boosting his scoring by more than 10 points. A year before that, Dyson Daniels captured the Most Improved Award after joining the team and taking on a larger role.
With that kind of pattern, it makes sense to look for the next Hawk ready to take off. This time, Aaron Wiggins is the name that stands out.
Wiggins arrives from an Oklahoma City Thunder team where the spotlight was usually on the three stars, even though the supporting cast had its share of moments. He was part of that group, but not always the featured piece in the rotation. In Atlanta, he should land in a similar range as a 7th or 8th man, but the difference is that he’s likely to get a clearer runway to show what he can do.
General manager Onsi Saleh made it clear before the season why the Hawks wanted him.
“Aaron is a three-level scorer, a guy who can guard. He brings something to our group and our rotation that we felt like we didn’t have a lot of last season,” Saleh said during preseason media availability.
That scoring is what could push Wiggins into another tier with the Hawks. He flashed it at times with the Thunder, getting hot and knocking down shots in bursts. The larger point, though, is that the shot-making was always there - he just didn’t need to lean on it much alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Atlanta has other players who can put the ball in the basket, but Wiggins may have the clearest path to being the second unit’s main scoring option. Lu Dort doesn’t bring the same kind of offensive creation, Kingston Flemings is a rookie, and Jock Landale isn’t expected to be a primary scorer.
That sets Wiggins up to carry more of the burden when he comes off the bench, and he has the tools to do it.
The Hawks have seen this formula work before. De'Andre Hunter once looked like a strong Sixth Man of the Year candidate before Atlanta sent him to the Cleveland Cavaliers, after he had put together a season where everything clicked on both ends.
Caris LeVert came back in the Hunter deal and handled that role for the Hawks in the second half of the season, giving them another reliable bucket-getter outside of Trae Young. Then last season, Alexander-Walker was supposed to fill that lane, only to wind up starting and outperforming expectations instead.
Now Wiggins looks like the next player in line for that kind of opportunity. After averaging 9.4 points last season, a jump in production would not come as a surprise in his new role with his new team.
In Other News...
Hawks Face A Roster Squeeze If This Big Man Hits The Market
Moussa Cisses name is starting to circulate as the Mavericks weigh their roster ahead of the October 19 deadline, and that has put a handful of teams on alert. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Bulls, Hawks, Lakers and 76ers are among the clubs keeping an eye on the big man if Dallas decides to waive him, with the appeal centered on a low-risk chance to add size before the season fully gets going.
For Atlanta, the interest is easy to understand. The Hawks are always looking for help in the frontcourt, and a player like Cisse would at least give them another option to evaluate if he becomes available. The wrinkle is fit and timing, since a roster move would have to be made first, and Atlantas own big-man picture has already been affected by Henri Veesars offseason ACL injury, which could factor into whether Cisse eventually has a realistic path to minutes if the opportunity opens. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Face A Costly Onyeka Okongwu Decision This Week
Onyeka Okongwu enters his seventh NBA season with an important issue hanging over the Hawks front office, and it comes with a deadline attached. Atlanta has to decide whether to lock in its young center with a contract extension now or hold off and let the season play out, a choice that puts his value, his role and the teams long-term cap planning under the same microscope.
For the Hawks, this is more than a routine roster conversation. Okongwu has developed into a key part of their frontcourt picture, but the organization still has to balance his strengths and weaknesses against the financial flexibility it wants to preserve for the rest of the roster. The decision could shape not just what he costs, but how Atlanta manages its future payroll as this core continues to take form. [Read more 🡒]
Kingston Flemings Is Putting Real Pressure On Atlanta's Starting Five
Kingston Flemings has done more than just look comfortable in summer league and preseason, he has given Atlanta something to think about. His playmaking has stood out, and the clean way he has handled the ball has only added to the sense that he belongs in the conversation around the Hawks rotation as the season gets closer.
The bigger question is how far that momentum can carry once the games count. There is already speculation that Flemings could work his way into the starting lineup if his regular-season play keeps matching what he has shown so far, which would force a tougher decision on the guard group and open the door to a very different role for an established veteran. For now, it is just pressure, but it is the kind that can change a depth chart quickly. [Read more 🡒]