The Southeast Division has suddenly taken on a very different look, and the Hawks are sitting in a far better spot because of it.
Miami’s long-awaited trade for two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was the biggest move in the group, but Charlotte also shook things up in a major way. The Hornets sent LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Miles Bridges to the Phoenix Suns, two deals that changed the division picture in a hurry.
For Atlanta, the ripple effects are mostly favorable. The Hawks, who won the division last season, head into an offseason centered on improvement with a clearer path in front of them than they had just a short time ago.
Charlotte’s new direction gives Atlanta breathing room
Ball and Bridges had helped Charlotte create some real buzz last season. The Hornets still ended up in the Play-In Tournament and were knocked out before the playoffs, but there was genuine momentum around what came next.
That outlook looks different now. Charlotte still has a young group led by the inevitable Kon Knueppel, plus steady veterans in Naz Reid and Grayson Allen, but the team appears headed for a step back next season as it leans more heavily into the long-term picture.
It’s a risky move, and the Hawks still have to keep an eye on Charlotte becoming a problem down the line. But in the short term, Atlanta has bought itself more time before the division gets truly crowded. Ball and Bridges were both Hawks-killers, and with both gone from the conference, that burden is gone too.
Miami is expected to move ahead of Atlanta next season after landing one of the league’s biggest stars, though nothing in the NBA ever unfolds exactly the way people draw it up.
Atlanta’s history against Giannis matters now
Antetokounmpo has not exactly enjoyed matching up with the Hawks over the years. Since 2021, Atlanta has done a strong job making life difficult for him in the regular season, even when Trae Young was still on the roster.
With Young now gone and locked into a massive contract with the Washington Wizards, the Hawks have leaned even more into team defense against the two-time MVP. They’ve even used Dyson Daniels, a guard, to make him uncomfortable before he can get deep into the paint.
That kind of approach gives Atlanta a real foundation to build on now that Antetokounmpo is in the division. The Hawks have already shown they can make him work for everything, and there’s no reason to think they can’t keep doing it.
And with the 2026-27 season looming as a potentially electric one, the Southeast Division suddenly looks even more active than before.
In Other News...
Hawks Could Be Sitting On Another Massive 2027 Draft Opportunity
The 2027 NBA Draft is starting to look like one of those classes worth tracking well before the lottery machine starts spinning, with names such as Tyran Stokes, Caleb Holt, Miikka Muurinen and Dash Daniels already drawing attention. For Atlanta, the appeal is less about one prospect in particular and more about the chance to be in position when that class finally arrives, thanks to the draft capital it has accumulated in recent trades.
One of the cleaner paths to a premium selection could come from Milwaukee, where the fallout from the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade is expected to reshape the teams outlook and leave the Bucks vulnerable to missing the playoffs. Atlanta also has reason to keep an eye on New Orleans, where injury questions around the Zion era and uncertainty involving Trey Murphy and Herb Jones could complicate another season. The Hawks are set up to benefit from both situations, and the asset they gained in the Dejounte Murray for Dyson Daniels deal could end up mattering a lot more than it did on draft night. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Want Jock Landale Back But One Problem Just Got Bigger
The Hawks entered free agency with a thin picture at center, and Jock Landale quickly became one of the more practical names on their board. Atlanta had little behind Onyeka Okongwu beyond several rookies, which made Landales steady stint after arriving at the trade deadline stand out even more. He gave the team a useful frontcourt option in a spot that could use one.
Now the challenge is less about whether Atlanta likes Landale and more about how far the team is willing to go to keep him. He is an unrestricted free agent with interest beyond the Hawks, and other teams are expected to chase him as well, which puts pressure on Atlanta to decide both what kind of deal makes sense and what his role would look like if he comes back. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Brown Trade Cost Puts Hawks Fans Right Back In Debate
The latest round of Jaylen Brown chatter has quickly turned into a familiar kind of Hawks debate: whether Atlanta should swing big for a proven star or keep taking the slower path. Bostons asking price is steep enough to put real distance between the sides, and for a Hawks team still shaping its identity, the conversation matters less as a rumor and more as a test of direction. Atlanta has been working to improve the roster, but the front office has made clear enough in recent months that it prefers a patient build around younger pieces rather than an all-in gamble.
Jalen Johnson sits near the center of that thinking, which helps explain why Brown, for all his appeal, does not look like the type of target Atlanta is rushing toward. The Hawks are still exploring ways to get better, but this kind of deal would require more than just ambition, and the cost in both assets and flexibility is part of what makes the idea hard to sustain. For now, the intrigue is in the same old question for Hawks fans: chase the star, or keep trusting the gradual climb? [Read more 🡒]