The Hawks have spent the early part of the offseason locking in their own pieces, and that has left the roster crowded and the books worth watching.
Atlanta has already brought back CJ McCollum, Mouhamed Gueye, and Jock Landale, while also adding Aaron Wiggins and Devin Carter in trades. On draft night, the team added Kingston Flemings, Zuby Ejiofor, and Henri Veesaar. With all of that movement, the Hawks are now sitting on a roster that is close to full and a financial picture that still leaves a little room to work.
As of this morning, Atlanta is at $188,757,129 for 15 players, which puts the team a little more than $12 million below the luxury tax.
The current payroll list runs deep: Jalen Johnson at $30,000,000; Dyson Daniels at $25,000,000; CJ McCollum at $21,000,000; Onyeka Okongwu at $16,100,000; Nickeil Alexander-Walker at $14,403,710; Jock Landale at $14,000,000; Corey Kispert at $13,975,000; Zaccharie Risacher at $13,826,040; Buddy Hield at $9,658,536; Aaron Wiggins at $9,028,038; Kingston Flemings at $7,348,680, an estimate via spotrac; Devin Carter at $5,158,080; Zuby Ejiofor at $3,453,360, an estimate via spotrac; Asa Newell at $3,399,480; Mouhamed Gueye at $2,406,205; and Henri Veesaar with his number still to be determined.
That last piece is the one that matters most right now. Veesaar’s contract is still unsettled, and the question is whether he lands on a standard deal or comes in through the second round pick exception. If he’s not on a two-way contract, Atlanta will need to clear space for him.
And if the Hawks want Veesaar on something other than a two-way while also bringing back Jonathan Kuminga - which is still on the table - then two players would have to go.
For now, the names most likely to be moved are Corey Kispert, Zaccharie Risacher, and Buddy Hield. Atlanta has kept its options open by staying under the luxury tax and well below the first apron, where the hard cap comes into play.
The Hawks also have some draft capital worth monitoring if they decide to chase a bigger trade down the line. They own the least favorable of Milwaukee’s and New Orleans’ first-round picks, with that selection top-four protected.
If both picks fall in the top four, Atlanta gets no first-rounder at all, and the best that asset can become is No. 5.
There’s also the unprotected 2027 first-round pick in the hands of the Spurs, the final piece of the deal that sent Dejounte Murray to Atlanta in 2022.
Atlanta’s draft stash also includes the most favorable of its own and the least favorable of Cleveland and Utah, with the remaining piece going to Cleveland. Beyond that, the Hawks control their own first-round picks from 2029 through 2033.
That matters because the Hawks were once in a rough spot after the Murray deal left them short on draft assets. That is no longer the case. Atlanta is now in a much better position to build trade packages, and if the right win-now star becomes available, the Hawks should have the pick capital to make a serious push.
In Other News...
Hawks Just Made A Backup Center Move With Bigger Implications
Atlanta had already spent the summer sorting out the edges of its frontcourt, and Nicolo Mellis return clarifies at least one part of the picture. The Hawks are bringing him back on a one-year, fully guaranteed deal worth $14 million, using nearly all of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to get it done because his Non-Bird Rights would not have allowed them to get to that salary any other way. The move points to a clear role for Melli behind Onyeka Okongwu, giving Atlanta a backup center option it knows well.
Mellis return also comes with a bit of roster math attached, because the Hawks are now closer to the tax line and have less flexibility for whatever comes next. He was productive in his time with Atlanta, and his floor spacing gives the team a different look when Okongwu sits, but the bigger question is how much room the Hawks will have left to maneuver if another decision needs to be made before camp. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Just Sent A Telling Message About Their Center Debate
Atlantas center conversation appears to have settled at least for now, with Jock Landale set to return on a one-year deal and the front office signaling it is comfortable moving forward with Onyeka Okongwu as the starting five. The message from the Hawks is pretty clear: they are leaning into the group they already have rather than chasing a pricier fix on the open market, and Landales return gives them another experienced body in the middle without forcing a major reshuffle.
Landale also arrived with a built-in role after coming over from the Utah Jazz just before the trade deadline, so this is not exactly a fresh experiment. What makes the decision more interesting is the way Atlanta views its own finish to last season, since Landales late injury may have had a hand in the playoff issues against the Knicks, especially around rim protection and rebounding. Even with that backdrop, the Hawks seem prepared to trust continuity over a bigger splash, and that choice says plenty about how they see the center debate right now. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Still Face One Risky Free Agency Fix They Can't Ignore
The Hawks offseason checklist still starts inside, where the need for more size and steadier rim protection has been obvious enough to shape how they approach free agency. With a path potentially opening up after Atlanta declined Jonathan Kumingas team option, the front office has at least some flexibility to look at the kind of center help that can ease the burden on Onyeka Okongwu and tighten things up defensively.
Jock Landale gives Atlanta a familiar fallback after being solid down the stretch, while Sacha Mamukelashvili brings a different kind of appeal with his spacing and improved production. Robert Williams III stands out as the most intriguing upside play because of what he can do protecting the rim, but his injury history makes every conversation about him a balancing act. For a Hawks roster trying to cover an obvious weakness without boxing itself in, the answer may come down to how much risk it is willing to absorb for a solution that could matter all season. [Read more 🡒]