The Hawks may have already done the hard part. After a season that flipped once the trade deadline and All-Star break passed, Atlanta got itself out of the play-in picture for the first time since 2021 and then pulled off the only playoff series wins over the Knicks. That alone made them one of the league’s better stories.
Now the conversation turns to what comes next, and the answer is bigger than simply hanging around the playoff race again.
Atlanta looks set up to be deeper this season. The Hawks kept the most important free-agent pieces from last year’s group in CJ McCollum and Jock Landale, added three rookies in Kingston Flemings, Henri Veesaar, and Zuby Ejiofor, and brought in useful rotation help through trades for Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and others. That puts them in position to push for a top-six finish in the Eastern Conference.
But the East is crowded. The Knicks, 76ers, Raptors, Cavaliers, Heat, and Celtics are all in the mix, with the Raptors assuming the Kawhi Leonard trade goes through. Atlanta can absolutely be part of that conversation, though the more interesting possibility may be what this team looks like at the trade deadline or next summer.
The reason is flexibility. The Hawks could chase a major in-season deal for a star, or they could arrive at the offseason with a massive pile of cap space and use it to chase a free agent or take on a big contract in a trade.
The math points to real room. Atlanta has club options due by Oct. 31 on Devin Carter at $7,370,897 and Asa Newell at $3,560,880.
Newell’s option is expected to be picked up, while Carter’s looks likely to be declined. If that happens, the Hawks would sit at $125,432,556 for 10 players.
Buddy Hield’s deal adds another wrinkle. His 2027-2028 contract is only guaranteed for $3,136,364 if he is waived by the first day after the 2027 NBA Draft. If Atlanta does not fully guarantee it the way it did this offseason, the team would save close to $7 million and come in at $128,568,920 for next season with 10 players.
With the projected salary cap at $174 million, that leaves Atlanta with close to $50 million in cap space. That kind of flexibility can be used to chase a star free agent or to swing a major trade into that space.
There is still plenty that can change between now and then. The list of potential unrestricted free agents is part of the picture, but it is impossible to know how many of them will actually reach the market or even want to test it. Some are extension eligible before the season starts, which only adds more uncertainty.
That is why the Hawks’ best path may not be obvious yet. If the right star becomes available, they can go get him.
If one does not, they still have the room to do something meaningful. Either way, Onsi Saleh and the Atlanta front office have put the team in a strong spot to act now with expiring contracts or wait and strike later.
In Other News...
Hawks NBA Cup Draw Puts Trae Young In An Emotional Spotlight
The NBA Cup schedule has given Atlanta a familiar early-season wrinkle, with the Hawks set to open group play against the Washington Wizards on Nov. 6 at home. It is the kind of date that already carries a little extra weight, because Washington now sits on the other side of a transaction that changed the look of both teams and added an immediate subplot to the Hawks' cup run.
Trae Young's name is still the one that makes this matchup feel different. He has recently spoken with appreciation about Hawks fans, and this game could be his first chance to step back into Atlanta as a visiting player since the trade. Even in a tournament group that will be judged by wins and losses, the emotional pull of that return may end up being the part everyone remembers most. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Kuminga Situation Could Suddenly Break Atlanta's Way
Jonathan Kumingas market may be shrinking in a way that could matter for Atlanta. NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that Cleveland may not chase a sign-and-trade for the forward as it turns its attention toward a contract extension with James Harden, and that shift would leave fewer obvious landing spots in play. For a player who has been linked to a few different possibilities, the squeeze could make the Hawks position feel a little more relevant than it did a few days ago.
Atlanta remains a logical name to watch because the Hawks have the kind of flexibility that can keep a return scenario alive, especially if other options dont gain traction. The Lakers and Timberwolves are still mentioned as possible suitors, but no real momentum has formed there, and that leaves Kuminga in a familiar holding pattern. For the Hawks, the appeal is simple: if the market keeps thinning out, their ability to stay in the conversation could suddenly matter a lot. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Fans Just Got A Marquee Home Date To Circle
LeBron James saying he will join the Philadelphia 76ers gives Atlanta a fresh layer of intrigue when the schedule circles back to one of the leagues annual spotlight dates. The Hawks are set to host Philadelphia on a holiday stage in the kind of nationally televised game that has become part of the citys routine, and it arrives with real star power attached.
Philadelphia and Atlanta will see each other three times this season, but this will be the only matchup in State Farm Arena. For Hawks fans, its the sort of home date that stands out immediately on the calendar, with a familiar holiday showcase now carrying a little extra juice because of who is expected to be in the building. [Read more 🡒]