The Atlanta Hawks’ late-season surge last year wasn’t built on one star carrying the load. It came from a wave of breakout performances that changed the shape of the roster.
Atlanta was sitting 10th in the Eastern Conference at the All-Star Break, then ripped off a 20-6 finish to climb to sixth in the East. That run carried into the playoffs, where the Hawks handed the Knicks two of their three losses.
A big part of that rise came from players taking real steps forward. Jalen Johnson put together the best season of his career, earning All-NBA recognition and his first All-Star nod.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker won the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award. Onyeka Okongwu turned in the best shooting season of his career.
Dyson Daniels also continued to develop, giving Atlanta a young core with real momentum.
If that group keeps climbing, the Hawks are in a strong spot. But the next jump may come from another player who can expand his role and give Atlanta even more depth.
Aaron Wiggins fits that idea well.
Wiggins was a success story for the Oklahoma City Thunder after being drafted in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft. He helped a team that was rebuilding turn into the 2024-2025 NBA champions. He wasn’t the centerpiece, but he gave the Thunder something valuable: versatile defense, reliable three-point shooting and steady bench production.
Now he’s in line for a much larger assignment in Atlanta. He looks set to be one of the Hawks’ top bench pieces and could even become one of their primary ball handlers off the bench.
That opportunity exists because Atlanta’s second unit doesn’t have much proven creation. The Hawks do have one true point guard in Kingston Flemings, and there are high hopes for the rookie.
He’s expected to back up the position this season, but rookies come with growing pains. That leaves Wiggins with a path to handle more of the offense or function as another secondary playmaker.
He brings the kind of tools that can make that work. Wiggins is a strong defender who can guard multiple positions, and he has a career 38% mark from three-point range. He can slide into different lineups, help with playmaking and creation, or simply take on more responsibility as a connector.
That’s a different ask than what he had in Oklahoma City, where he was more of a 9th or 10th man. In Atlanta, he’s projected to be the 6th or 7th man, and that should come with a bigger workload.
The expectation is that his minutes will rise, and with that comes a real chance to post a new career high in assists per game. Atlanta is asking him to do more than he ever did with the Thunder, and that increased responsibility could be exactly what unlocks his next step.
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Aaron Wiggins Could Decide More For The Hawks Than Fans Realize
Atlanta has already done most of its roster reshaping in training camp, moving Buddy Hield, bringing in Lu Dort and keeping veterans Jock Landale and CJ McCollum in place. With the top of the backcourt largely sorted out and Kingston Flemings expected to be the fourth guard, the Hawks are down to the smaller decisions that can still matter over the course of a long season.
Aaron Wiggins is one of those decisions. Quin Snyder has pointed to the value he can bring, and his championship background gives Atlanta another steady piece to lean on if the rotation gets tested. Even if his role looks modest on paper, the Hawks are clearly counting on him to provide more than just minutes at the end of the bench. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Face A Jalen Duren Decision That Could Save Them Big
Jalen Durens situation in Detroit is one the Hawks have to keep watching closely, because the timing could end up mattering as much as the talent. The Pistons restricted free agent is drawing interest from multiple teams, Atlanta included, and there has already been chatter about either a sign-and-trade or the chance to go after him when he hits the market next summer.
For the Hawks, the appeal is obvious: a young big man who could fit a long-term frontcourt plan without forcing them into a rushed move this offseason. If Duren winds up taking the path that puts him back in the open market later, Atlanta could be sitting on enough flexibility to make a real run, which is exactly why this decision has league circles watching so closely. [Read more 🡒]
Dyson Daniels May Be Getting The Help Hawks Fans Wanted
Dyson Daniels has already established himself as one of the Hawks most important defensive pieces, but the conversation around Atlantas defense for 2026 is shifting in a way that should matter to anyone watching the team closely. The roster now features more defensive-minded help around him, and Daniels has pointed to a group that includes Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins as part of the reason the Hawks should be tougher to score against.
For a team that has leaned on Daniels to set the tone on that end, the appeal is obvious: fewer heavy lifts for one player and more bodies who can take on difficult matchups. Daniels also sees a mix of veterans and younger players in the defensive core, and he sounded confident that the collective group can raise the standard without asking one defender to carry the entire load. [Read more 🡒]