The Hawks have spent the past year building with one thing in mind: flexibility. And under Onsi Saleh, that flexibility has become a weapon.
Atlanta’s front office has already shown it’s willing to move quickly when the moment calls for it, and the roster construction points to another aggressive stretch ahead. With less than a month to go before the year officially begins, the attention is on the team’s on-court identity. But the real action may come later, when the trade deadline rolls around.
A big part of Atlanta’s position comes from how it has managed contracts. Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Onyeka Okongwu are all locked in on value deals, giving the Hawks room to keep adjusting the roster around them.
Even the short-term deals handed out this summer fit the same approach. CJ McCollum and Jock Landale both received one-year contracts after playing key roles in Atlanta’s surprising postseason push.
That same structure gives the Hawks more options with outside additions too. Lu Dort and now Dorian Finney-Smith could both be moved by midseason if the right opportunity presents itself, because their deals offer the kind of flexibility teams love at the deadline.
Finney-Smith’s contract, at first glance, does not look like a one-year arrangement. But the setup tells a different story.
He signed a four-year deal with the Houston Rockets last offseason, with the first two years guaranteed and the next two not. That means the team he’s with after this upcoming season can release him with no financial penalty.
In practice, that makes it an expiring contract.
That kind of setup is exactly why Atlanta can be dangerous when other teams start looking for relief. Salary dumps happen all the time, and the Hawks have already shown they can use them to their advantage. Last season, Atlanta dealt Trae Young to the Wizards primarily for McCollum’s expiring contract.
If a star becomes unhappy and wants out, Atlanta could be right there to jump in. And even if the Hawks choose not to do much at the deadline, they’ll still be sitting on financial flexibility for what is expected to be a stacked free agency class next offseason.
In Other News...
Hawks Training Camp Could Decide One Crucial Role After Latest Setback
Training camp is about to give the Hawks a clearer picture of how the roster fits together after the recent trade for Dorian Finney-Smith, but there are still a few spots that need sorting out. One of the more interesting ones is on the wing, where the club is also weighing how CJ McCollum and Lu Dort might fit into the starting group, even as younger players like Kingston Flemings and Asa Newell look for chances to make an impression.
The frontcourt may be even more worth watching, especially after Henri Veesaars season-ending injury left a gap in the depth chart. Atlanta now has a real opening to monitor at center behind the top options, and camp should reveal whether the answer comes from one of the young bigs already in the mix or from another player who is able to get healthy and push for minutes. [Read more 🡒]
Trae Youngs Hawks Frustration Just Reopened One Brutal Debate
Trae Youngs latest comments about his time in Atlanta put an old roster question right back in the spotlight. The Hawks have spent years trying to build around Young as the offensive engine, and his remarks invite a fresh look at how the team constructed those playoff groups, what happened when Dejounte Murray arrived, and why the balance of those lineups never quite felt settled enough to ease the burden on Young.
Atlantas recent history gives the critique some real weight. The Hawks did not get the kind of consistent second star presence that usually bends a defense, and the Murray pairing did not produce the lift the franchise hoped for while they shared the backcourt. Even if the broader debate is still open, Youngs frustration taps into the same issue the Hawks have been wrestling with all along - whether they ever gave him the kind of offensive partner who could truly change the way opponents defended them. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Are Clearing A Real Opportunity For Kingston Flemings
The Hawks have quietly made some room in their backcourt, and that matters for a rookie like Kingston Flemings. By trimming down the guard group, Atlanta has opened a clearer developmental lane for the young point guard, giving the team a chance to be patient with him instead of forcing him into a role before he is ready.
There is still a veteran presence in the mix to help carry some of the burden, which should make the transition easier for Flemings as he settles into the league. For a team looking to grow him the right way, the message feels pretty clear: let the rookie learn, let the minutes come naturally, and resist the urge to rush him into a starting job too soon. [Read more 🡒]