The Atlanta Hawks have reached the point where the rest of their offseason comes down to one clean, unavoidable task: get the roster down to 15.
Jonathan Kuminga’s decision helped narrow the picture. Last night, he chose to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves on a two-year, $13 million deal with a player option in the second deal. Other teams such as the Lakers, Cavaliers, Clippers, Bucks, Bulls, and Blazers reportedly had interest in him as a free agent, but he landed in Minnesota and there was no sign-and-trade involved.
That leaves Atlanta with its final roster crunch still sitting in front of it.
Since trading for Luguentz Dort and Ryan Nembhard, the Hawks have been carrying 17 players. They have not yet cut that number down to the 15 required before the regular season begins, and that decision now looks like the last real item on the checklist.
The candidates to go are not hard to name. Corey Kispert, Buddy Hield, Devin Carter, Mouhamed Gueye, and Ryan Nembhard are the players most likely to be involved, though it would be a surprise if the Hawks moved anyone else.
Two dates may matter here. Carter becomes eligible to be traded on Aug. 30, while Nembhard can be traded on Sept.
- If Atlanta is waiting on either of those players, the team may simply have to sit tight until those dates arrive.
Even then, neither one is expected to bring back much in return.
Kispert is the cleaner name to move, but the contract makes that difficult. He is overpaid, has multiple years left, and is not viewed as a desirable asset around the league.
Getting off that money could require multiple second-round picks or even a protected first-round pick, and Atlanta may not want to pay that price. He also does not look likely to be in the rotation this season, and the same goes for Hield.
Hield’s deal is expiring, sort of, but his recent track record does not exactly scream reliable rotation piece. He has not shown the ability to be part of an actual NBA rotation in a few seasons, which raises the obvious question: would another team want him on its books at $9.6 million if he can’t play?
Nembhard, Carter, and Gueye are all movable, or could simply be waived because their salaries are smaller. Still, the Hawks may prefer to keep one or more of them, especially Gueye, who could be useful on this roster.
So while the exact move is still unclear, the assignment is not. Atlanta has one last roster decision to make before training camp.
In Other News...
Hawks Just Reopened The Porzingis Trade Debate In A Painful Way
Jonathan Kumingas short stop in Atlanta is already over, and his departure has brought fresh attention back to the deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Golden State. The Hawks took a swing on Kuminga after acquiring him from the Warriors, hoping the change of scenery would give them another young piece to develop as part of the roster reshuffle that followed the Porzingis move.
Instead, Kumingas time with Atlanta amounted to 16 regular-season games and six playoff appearances before the relationship ran its course. Now that he has moved on in free agency, the trade is being judged in a different light for the Hawks, who are left sorting through what the swap meant and how much of the original gamble still matters with the rest of the return no longer in place. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Just Showed How Far This Front Office Is Willing To Go
The Hawks latest move says plenty about how aggressively this front office is willing to reshape the roster under Onsi Saleh. Jonathan Kuminga never got much time to settle in Atlanta, but his arrival and quick exit fit the larger pattern of a team that is not afraid to keep turning over pieces if it believes a different path better matches its long-term plan.
Atlanta had acquired Kuminga in the trade built around Kristaps Porzingis, a deal influenced by Porzingis expiring contract and ongoing health concerns. Even with the sample size in Atlanta far too small to draw firm conclusions, the brief stint is another reminder that the Hawks are treating flexibility as a priority, and that the next move may matter just as much as the last one. [Read more 🡒]
Asa Newell Just Got A Real Chance To Climb Atlanta's Rotation
Atlantas frontcourt picture just got a little clearer, and Asa Newell is one of the players positioned to benefit. With a rotation spot opening up on the wing and up front, the Hawks have a young forward who already flashed real shooting potential during his rookie season and now looks set for a bigger workload as the season unfolds.
Newells path should not be perfectly smooth, because a larger role for a first-year player usually comes with some growing pains. Even so, the opportunity is real, especially with Mo Gueye also in line for more minutes but unavailable early while he recovers from left foot surgery. For a Hawks team trying to sort out its depth, Newell suddenly has a chance to move from intriguing prospect to meaningful part of the rotation. [Read more 🡒]