The Hawks may still have a couple of roster decisions left to make, but the shape of the team is already coming into focus. Atlanta is headed toward the 2026-27 season with real continuity, bringing back a starting five that clicked over the final 26 games after the All-Star Break. The organization wanted to get younger and deepen the bench, and that’s mostly the roster it has built.
There’s still a wrinkle, though: the Hawks are carrying 17 players right now, and two of them won’t be on the roster when the season opens. With training camp just over a month away, the depth chart is still more projection than certainty - but the big picture is clear.
At point guard, CJ McCollum remains the lead option. He was an underrated pickup for Atlanta and played a major role in the team’s two playoff wins against the Knicks.
The question now is simple: can he keep producing as he enters his age 35 season? For now, he’s still the guy running the show.
Behind him, No. 8 overall pick Kingston Flemings is pushing to grab the backup job. He turned heads in Summer League and has the kind of talent that could lift the second unit if he wins the role in camp.
Ryan Nembhard is also in the mix, though he’s a candidate to be moved before the season. He showed real promise as a rookie with the Mavericks, especially on offense, even if his size could create problems on defense.
On the wing, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is set to start after winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award in the best season of his career. Atlanta will want him to keep trending up and keep sharpening different parts of his game.
Aaron Wiggins should be one of the most important bench pieces. He came over from the Oklahoma City Thunder and looks positioned for what could be the best season of his career in a larger role.
He gives the Hawks a versatile defender and a reliable three-point threat. Devin Carter and Buddy Hield are also listed behind Alexander-Walker, though neither is guaranteed to still be around when the season begins.
Carter is the more intriguing name. He was once a lottery pick, brings defensive ability, and could carve out a rotation role as a specialist if he can stay healthy and give Atlanta enough offensively.
Hield’s contract was unexpectedly guaranteed, and if he remains, he projects as a veteran shooter and insurance off the bench.
Dyson Daniels slots in as another starter, with Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Corey Kispert behind him. Daniels is one of the league’s best defenders and an underrated offensive piece, making him central to what the Hawks want to do.
He still needs to improve his three-point shot, but his value to Atlanta is obvious. Dort brings similar defensive excellence, plus extra physicality and toughness.
There are questions about how he and Daniels fit together, and his offense will be worth monitoring, but Atlanta clearly likes the identity he helps create on the perimeter. Kispert is another possible trade candidate, and if he stays, his role should be limited to deep-bench shooting.
Jalen Johnson anchors the frontcourt and is coming off a career year that included his first All-Star nod and first All-NBA selection. He’s Atlanta’s best player, and after a difficult playoff series against the Knicks, he’ll be trying to show he can be the top option on a playoff team.
The backup spot next to him is one of camp’s most interesting battles. Mouhamed Gueye would have been the favorite, but a foot injury this summer will keep him out of training camp and preseason, and possibly longer.
That opens the door for Asa Newell and Zuby Ejiofor. Newell flashed in his rookie season, though most of it came in the G-League.
Ejiofor adds the kind of toughness and physicality Atlanta has clearly prioritized, and he had a strong summer league.
At center, Onyeka Okongwu holds down the starting job after his best season yet. He’s one of the NBA’s most underrated bigs, and he gave Atlanta floor spacing, defense, and passing last season. The Hawks will want to keep him fresh so he’s ready when it matters most in the playoffs.
Jock Landale returns as the backup center after a strong stretch with Atlanta following the trade deadline. He brings shooting and physicality and could be in line for a career year. Henri Veesaar looks like a developmental piece for now, likely spending plenty of time in the G-League, though his talent makes him a name worth tracking as the season goes on.
In Other News...
Hawks Face A Corey Kispert Decision That Could Shape Their Build
Last season, the Hawks made a major roster swing by sending Trae Young to New Orleans for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert without giving up draft picks, a move that left them with a new look and a lot less margin for error. Kispert was part of that package as Atlanta tried to add shooting and balance, and he gave the team a useful stretch before injuries changed the conversation around what comes next.
Now the Hawks are weighing how much faith to place in a player whose contract and durability both matter as they try to tighten up defensively and become more consistent. Kisperts fit is part basketball question, part roster-building decision, and Atlanta has to sort out whether his upside is worth the long-term commitment while the front office continues shaping a team that can hold up on both ends. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks May Finally Be Getting Clarity On The Kuminga Standoff
Jonathan Kumingas free agency has dragged deep into the summer, and the delay has kept Atlanta tied to a situation that never quite seemed ready to settle. After the Hawks declined his team option, Kuminga stayed on the market as teams around the league weighed ways to meet his contract demands, with the Lakers and Timberwolves most often mentioned among the interested parties.
The longer the standoff continues, the more it points toward a sign-and-trade structure rather than a simple signing, especially with Clevelands move for Peyton Watson narrowing one possible path. Atlantas role in all of it remains more complicated than most, since the Hawks are already carrying a full roster and are not eager to add extra money back in a deal, which could force the conversation into a three-team arrangement before there is any real clarity. [Read more 🡒]