The Atlanta Hawks are heading toward the 2026-27 NBA season with a roster problem that looks like a luxury on paper and a headache in practice. They have plenty of depth, plenty of NBA-ready talent, and, at point guard, more bodies than they can realistically carry into opening night.
That’s where the squeeze gets real. Atlanta’s three two-way spots won’t solve this one, because the issue isn’t a lack of fringe talent - it’s that the Hawks have too many guards who can actually play.
CJ McCollum and Kingston Flemings are not the names in danger here. The decision appears to come down to Devin Carter and Ryan Nembhard.
At least one of them is expected to stay with the main roster, but not both. The Hawks are going to have to choose, and the likeliest outcome is that one of the two gets released.
There is a path that would avoid that entirely: moving on from Buddy Hield and his $9 million contract, along with one of the forwards lower on the depth chart. But that route comes with trade value attached, which makes it less straightforward than simply trimming the point guard room.
Carter and Nembhard also don’t project to bring much back on the open market, which only strengthens the sense that Atlanta may have to make a clean cut. It’s the kind of roster math teams run into when the business side catches up with the basketball side.
If the Hawks are weighing the two guards against each other, age is part of the conversation. Nembhard is 23, while Carter is 24. That gap isn’t huge, but it matters in a decision this tight.
Nembhard also reached his footing earlier than Carter, which is part of why there’s a belief he may end up as the more useful piece moving forward. Right now, he looks like the more likely one to stick.
Atlanta would probably prefer to keep both, and losing Carter would sting if it meant holding onto the younger, more offensively creative Nembhard. But with the two guards built in similar molds and neither bringing ideal size for the position, keeping one and moving on from the other seems like the cleanest answer.
No matter which way the Hawks go, they’re not staring at a disaster. Both players have real potential, and whichever one remains will be in a strong spot to develop.
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