The Atlanta Hawks have spent this offseason doing things their own way.
While plenty of Eastern Conference teams have been busy chasing headlines, Atlanta’s front office, led by Onsi Saleh, has taken a slower, more measured route. The Hawks have focused on keeping most of their own free agents, adding three rookies, and making a couple of quieter trades to strengthen the roster ahead of what is expected to be a competitive 2026-2027 season.
That low-key approach does not automatically mean a weak summer. Atlanta may not have dominated the conversation, but it still looks like a team that expects to be in the playoff hunt again.
One of the clearest moves was bringing back CJ McCollum on a one-year deal. There’s no such thing as a bad one-year deal, and McCollum gave the Hawks plenty after arriving from the Washington Wizards.
He was one of Atlanta’s top ball handlers and scorers in the playoffs, and he brought veteran leadership to one of the youngest teams in the league. He is not going to drag Atlanta to the NBA Finals or suddenly become the player he was in his prime, which is why this move does not rise to an “A.”
Still, he fits, and his salary could even make him useful in a future trade if things go sideways.
The same basic logic applies to Jock Landale, though the price tag is a little harder to ignore. Atlanta brought him back after he played well following the All-Star break, and the Hawks clearly needed help at center.
Landale is set to be the main backup to Onyeka Okongwu and should provide floor spacing and physicality. But $14 million is a lot, even on a one-year deal, especially for a player who has not had a major role on a playoff team.
The Hawks did not have many options here, though, and this is a perfectly reasonable move. Like McCollum, Landale could also become trade material if needed.
The biggest upside swing in Atlanta’s haul may be bringing in Kenrich Wiggins. He should help the Hawks’ depth in a real way, thanks to his versatility on defense and his ability to knock down threes.
The Thunder’s financial crunch made him available, and Atlanta got him for next to nothing. That combination of low cost and a descending contract makes this a sharp pickup.
After the Hawks produced back-to-back Most Improved Player winners in Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Wiggins is a candidate to make it three.
The Hawks also took a flier on Devin Carter, and the price made it easy to justify. Carter was a lottery pick for the Kings in 2024, and injuries have already interrupted his career.
Even so, he has shown defensive upside, even if the offensive game is still shaky. Atlanta is betting it can help build out the rest of his skill set, and since it cost them nothing to acquire him, the risk is minimal.
He could grow into a real rotation player, or he could turn out to be a player who just never quite gets there. Either outcome is on the table.
Given the cost and the upside, it was a fine move.
There was also no real debate about bringing back Mouhamed Gueye. He has improved in each of his three seasons with the Hawks, and a high-level defensive player making $2.4 million was an easy call.
The more interesting question is what comes next for him, especially with Atlanta having drafted Asa Newell last summer and Zuby Ejiofor this summer. An extension could become the next part of that story.
Not every decision has been as clean. The Hawks’ choice to keep Buddy Hield was a strange one.
Atlanta could have opened a roster spot and saved $6 million on the cap, but instead picked up Hield’s $9.6 million for next season. If he is not traded, he will be on the roster when the season starts.
Hield did not play for the Hawks after coming over from Golden State, and his defense was subpar enough that it is fair to wonder why Atlanta did not waive him on June 28th.
As for Jonathan Kuminga, the situation is still unresolved. He remains a free agent, and a reunion with Atlanta has not been ruled out.
The Hawks could still bring him back, but he has also been mentioned as a sign-and-trade candidate for the Lakers, Cavaliers, and Bucks. For now, the final grade on that part of Atlanta’s offseason has to wait until the rest of free agency plays out.
In Other News...
Hawks Just Sent Another Telling Signal About Their Wing Plan
The Hawks have spent the offseason sending a pretty clear message about what they want on the wing: size, shooting and defense, with a long-term answer at small forward at the center of the plan. Drafting Zaccharie Risacher and trading for Jonathan Kuminga already pointed in that direction, and Atlantas roster-building has leaned toward balanced roles rather than asking one forward to do everything.
Kumingas uneven NBA track record has only sharpened the search, and the Hawks have been weighing sign-and-trade possibilities as they keep looking for the right fit. Peyton Watson has emerged as the kind of 3-and-D profile Atlanta seems to value, thanks to strong shooting and defensive indicators, and the way the Hawks keep circling this spot suggests they are not done reshaping it yet. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Face A Tough Trade Deadline Decision Around Their Core
The Hawks trade-deadline math starts with the same complication that hangs over a lot of good teams: the players who would be easiest to move are not always the ones Atlanta can most comfortably part with. Several of the rosters most attractive contracts belong to young pieces and rotation regulars whose value appears to outpace their salary, which makes them useful on the floor and harder to imagine as deadline chips.
At the same time, Atlanta does have some flexibility if it decides to chase a bigger swing. There is expiring money on the books, and the front office also has to keep an eye on how certain contract decisions could change the shape of the roster in the months ahead. For a team trying to stay competitive without hollowing out its core, the deadline may come down to how much short-term help it is willing to sacrifice for longer-term control. [Read more 🡒]