The Atlanta Hawks have kept things mostly calm this summer, and that may be the point. After reaching the playoffs and skipping the play-in tournament for the first time since 2021, they could have chased a louder, riskier path. Instead, they stayed patient, kept building, and added depth without forcing the issue.
That approach has shown up in a few different ways: bringing back some of their own free agents, adding three rookies in the draft, and making a pair of low-profile trades designed to strengthen the bench. But the move that stands out most is the one that brought Aaron Wiggins to Atlanta.
The Hawks got involved at a time when the Oklahoma City Thunder were clearly staring at a roster squeeze. With 15 players already on the books, incoming draft picks, and a spot deep into the second apron, Oklahoma City had a few obvious names that could move. Wiggins and Isaiah Joe fit that bill, and Atlanta once again took advantage of a team looking for salary relief.
Wiggins had already carved out a real role in Oklahoma City. A late pick in the 2021 draft, he turned himself into a dependable defender and a steady three-point threat. In 339 career games, including 100 starts, he averaged 8.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 20.3 minutes while shooting 48.7% from the field, 38.0% from three, and 78.4% from the line.
That’s a solid player. The Hawks are betting there’s more there.
Atlanta has made a habit of believing in development, and that belief has paid off with players like Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who have each won back-to-back Most Improved Player Awards. Wiggins gives them another swing at that kind of growth.
He may not be a headline name, but he looks positioned to matter right away. CJ McCollum, Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu are the projected starting five, while the bench still has some sorting out to do. Wiggins, Jock Landale, and rookie Kingston Flemings are expected to fill out the top eight, and Wiggins should see major minutes.
The fit is easy to see. He defends, he passes, and he shoots the three well - exactly the kind of skill set Atlanta’s second unit needed more of. It may not have grabbed much attention when it happened, but this is the kind of move that can quietly swing a season.
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Hawks Rookie Is Betting Big On Himself In Las Vegas
Henri Veesaar is getting his first real taste of the NBA spotlight in Las Vegas, where the Hawks second-round pick is using Summer League to begin his rookie season and show why Atlanta took a chance on him. After transferring from Arizona to North Carolina and then entering the draft, the 7-footer saw his stock slide before the Hawks grabbed him at No. 52, a landing spot that put a little more pressure on every possession from the start.
Through his first games, Veesaar has already given Atlanta a glimpse of both sides of the equation. There has been encouraging scoring and rebounding, the kind of early production that can keep a rookie in the conversation, but there have also been turnovers and other rough edges that still need sanding down. For a player trying to turn a summer showcase into a real role, the next few outings matter just as much as the first ones. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Interest In Peyton Watson May Come With A Familiar Catch
Peyton Watson has become one of the more interesting names on the restricted free-agent market, and the Hawks are among the teams keeping tabs. Atlantas interest makes sense on paper: Watson is still young, has upside, and fits the kind of long-term swing teams often explore when they want to add athleticism without waiting for the draft. The Clippers are also in the mix, which only adds to the intrigue around a player whose next move may depend less on talent than on how creative a team is willing to get.
For Atlanta, though, the familiar catch is roster math. A sign-and-trade would require the Hawks to move players to make the deal work, and that is where the conversation gets complicated. Brooklyn has the cap space to sign Watson outright, but it does not sound eager to meet the salary he is seeking, leaving the market in a holding pattern while interested teams weigh whether the price and the mechanics line up. [Read more 🡒]