Atlanta’s summer makeover is going against the grain, and that could leave the Hawks with an opening to fix the one issue that kept biting them last season: life around the rim.
One mock trade idea has Atlanta reaching into Indiana’s bench for Jay Huff, a big man whose calling card is simple and useful - he blocks shots, protects the paint, and brings a dependable presence off the bench. He’s also known for finishing with reverse dunks, which the source frames with a little humor as part of his appeal.
For the Hawks, the attraction is obvious. They were rough on the interior to start last season, and even though that problem seemed to ease as wins piled up in March and April, the concern is still there heading into the 2026-2027 campaign. Atlanta remains very small up front, and that could be an issue again if nothing changes.
The thinking behind the hypothetical move is that Huff would plug the biggest leak right away. Atlanta already has defensive pieces such as Lu Dort, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, and even Kingston Flemings and Devin Carter, but the frontcourt still looks light. Adding another true paint protector would help cover for undersized centers and give the Hawks more insurance.
The price, at least on paper, would be manageable. Huff is on a two-year, $6M deal, which makes him a realistic budget target for both teams.
One possible framework mentioned in the source would send second-round picks and a bench creator to Indiana to help replace an aging McConnell, while also bringing together a pair of brothers. The specific idea floated is Huff for Ryan Nembhard and picks.
Whether that kind of deal ever gets real depends on how both teams look once the season starts. Indiana would only have a reason to move Huff if things go sideways early or if Ivica Zubac performs at the level the front office expected when it acquired him. If Zubac is playing 36-plus minutes a night, the Pacers may be less inclined to sacrifice depth.
Atlanta’s side of the equation is just as important. If the Hawks are not truly in the race by February, Onsi Saleh would be better off selling than pushing more assets into a team stuck in the middle of the East. But there’s a catch: Atlanta does not own its pick this year, so tanking is off the table.
For now, Huff remains a clean fit on paper rather than a finished transaction. Still, the Hawks have to prove they can hold up inside much better than they did last season, and if they can’t, Saleh may need to find someone who can.
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Hawks Face A Veteran Roster Crunch They Cant Avoid
Atlantas roster is already at 17 players, and the front office has a familiar summer problem to solve before training camp arrives in 2027: trim the group down to the 15-man limit without undercutting the depth it has built. It is the kind of decision that usually lands somewhere between basketball fit and financial practicality, and the Hawks are clearly spending time weighing both as they sort out the shape of the bench for the coming season.
Buddy Hield and Corey Kispert have emerged as the names to watch in that conversation, each for different reasons tied to role and contract value. Atlanta does not appear to have a simple answer here, which is why the roster crunch has become more than a bookkeeping exercise. The Hawks are still evaluating whether the cleanest path is to cut or move one of those veterans, and the next step will say plenty about how aggressively they want to manage the back end of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Fans Have A Real Reason To Watch New Orleans Closely
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The fit is where it gets interesting. Mathurin brings shot-making, but his limitations on defense and as a playmaker leave New Orleans with another real lineup question to answer, especially with trade chatter already circling parts of the roster. For Atlanta, the appeal is obvious: the more volatile New Orleans becomes, the more closely the Hawks have to watch what happens next. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Look Smarter For Avoiding Anthony Davis Risk
The Hawks did their due diligence on Anthony Davis before the deadline, but they ultimately steered clear of the kind of deal that can reshape a franchise for all the wrong reasons. Age, injury history and contract uncertainty all weighed against the idea, and Atlanta instead kept its focus on the roster it has been building around after its recent playoff success.
Washington made the move and now has to sort through the next layer of risk, because Davis is eligible for an extension and the price tag would be enormous. If the Wizards do not satisfy his contract expectations, the possibility of a messy follow-up looms over the deal, which is exactly the kind of complication Atlanta chose not to inherit. [Read more 🡒]