The Eastern Conference got a jolt this offseason, and the move that may matter most for Atlanta was Boston sending five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia.
Boston brought back Paul George along with two first-round picks and two second-round picks, a haul that gives the Celtics more flexibility but also leaves a real question hanging over where they fit in the East now. That uncertainty is exactly the kind of thing the Hawks can exploit.
Atlanta finished sixth in the conference last season and stayed out of the Play-In Tournament. With a stronger roster now in place, the Hawks have a path to climb a spot or two if Boston slips.
That does not mean the Celtics suddenly fell apart. Jayson Tatum is expected back at full strength, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard still give them solid support, and Boston added veterans Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley to deepen the group around its star.
The issue is George. Boston needs him to stay healthy enough to serve as the second star next to Tatum, and that has not been a safe bet lately.
George played in only 37 games last season after appearing in 41 the year before. If that pattern continues, Boston’s ceiling drops fast compared to the version of the team that had Brown beside Tatum.
Even so, the Celtics are not being shoved into the basement. As long as Tatum is healthy, they should still be in the mix. What changed is the perception that they are locked in as one of the East’s automatic top-five teams.
That is where Atlanta comes in.
The Hawks do not need a huge leap to move up. They were already one spot outside the East’s top five last season, and if one of the teams ahead of them stumbles with injuries or has trouble adjusting to a major roster shakeup, Atlanta can move into the opening.
And the Hawks have done plenty on their own to make the case. President of Basketball Operations Onsi Saleh has kept building around Jalen Johnson while balancing veterans with younger players who still have room to grow.
Atlanta re-signed CJ McCollum and used the draft to bring in Kingston Flemings as a possible point guard of the future. Then the Hawks added Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins from Oklahoma City, a move that makes an already strong defensive team even more dangerous and gives Quin Snyder more ways to mix and match lineups.
Dort’s fit alongside Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker could be especially important. The Hawks already finished with a top-ten defense last season, and another elite perimeter stopper gives them a real shot to become one of the better defensive teams in the league while Johnson keeps driving the offense.
The climb still will not be simple. Kawhi Leonard’s return to Toronto changes the Raptors’ outlook, and Giannis Antetokounmpo leaving Milwaukee for Miami gives the Heat another superstar who can shake up the conference.
So Atlanta cannot just assume the standings will break its way. The Hawks still have to make their upgrades count, stay healthy and handle the teams they are supposed to beat.
But Boston’s Brown-for-George swap gives Atlanta a cleaner route upward than it had before. If George stays on the floor, the Celtics may remain well ahead. If he does not, the Hawks have a real chance to take another step in the East.
In Other News...
Kyle Korver's Hawks Legacy Deserves A Bigger Conversation
Kyle Korvers run with Atlanta has already become one of those stretches that feels more important with time. He arrived as a sharpshooter, but his impact went well beyond spacing the floor, especially during the 2014-15 season when the Hawks surged to the top of the East and reached the conference finals. Korvers lone All-Star nod came in that season, a fitting marker for a player who helped define one of the most memorable eras in recent franchise history.
Now his departure from the front office adds another layer to a Hawks story that still deserves a fuller look. After finishing his playing career, Korver returned in a different role and spent the past few years as the teams Director of Player Affairs and Development, continuing a connection that bridged eras inside the organization. For a franchise that has cycled through plenty of change, Korver remains one of the clearest links to a period when Atlanta felt both stable and genuinely contender-worthy. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Roster Crunch Could Set Up Bigger Moves Than Fans Expect
The Hawks are heading into camp with a roster squeeze already hanging over them, as they sit at 17 players and need to trim down to the regular-season limit of 15. That kind of numbers problem usually gets framed as a housekeeping chore, but in Atlantas case it could turn into something more consequential, especially with several familiar names now part of the conversation as possible trade pieces or the odd man out.
Kispert, Hield, Carter, McCollum, Dort and Landale all come up for different reasons, whether it is contract structure, team fit or simple roster math. The bigger subplot is that some expiring deals can also give the Hawks flexibility if a star shakes loose, which means the next move may not just be about clearing space, but about keeping enough optionality to strike if the right deal appears. [Read more 🡒]