The Atlanta Hawks have spent the short-term looking for ways to sharpen the roster, and Kyrie Irving could be the kind of swing that changes their ceiling in a hurry.
Dallas is the team to watch here. Irving is deep into the later stretch of his career and coming off a major injury, but if he’s healthy enough to matter, he still brings something Atlanta badly needs: real perimeter shot creation. That’s the lane the Hawks have been trying to fill, and they haven’t fully solved it yet.
Last postseason, CJ McCollum was the Hawks’ primary answer on the perimeter. He handled the job well enough to help Atlanta take two games from the eventual champion New York Knicks.
McCollum is set to return this season, but that doesn’t mean the Hawks should stop looking for a bigger upgrade. Irving, assuming he’s back close to his best, would be exactly that.
At his peak, Irving is one of the league’s most dangerous scorers. He can manufacture a shot whenever the possession breaks down, and that kind of offense doesn’t just help - it changes what a team can survive in the playoffs.
Atlanta doesn’t have enough dependable creation on the outside right now, with McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker standing as its best options. That’s a workable setup for stretches, but not enough if the goal is a deep postseason run.
That’s why Irving makes so much sense if he becomes available. He could give the Hawks the kind of offensive punch they’re missing and make them a far more dangerous playoff team than they are at the moment.
There’s also the Dallas angle. In an ideal scenario, Irving would help Cooper Flagg develop while keeping the Mavericks out of the lottery’s new relegation zone.
But league buzz suggests that might not be the only path. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon pointed to questions around how Irving fits alongside Flagg and into Dallas’ long-term plans, writing:
“Teams across the league are intrigued by how, or if, the 34-year-old Irving fits in the Mavericks' long-term plans as the franchise prioritizes building around its teenage prodigy. A healthy Irving, who has averaged 25.5 points and 5.1 assists per game in a Mavs uniform, could be a prime target for contenders before the trade deadline if new Dallas president Masai Ujiri is willing to engage in those discussions.”
If Dallas decides to move him, Atlanta should be right there making the call.
Irving would be a fascinating fit in Atlanta because of how he would slot next to Jalen Johnson. Johnson would still handle most of the downhill work and a big chunk of the playmaking, while Irving would give the Hawks another high-end creator who can punish defenses from deep. And with Atlanta’s three-point shooting not exactly a strength, that matters.
If Irving is truly on the market, the Hawks shouldn’t hesitate to check in.
In Other News...
Hawks Floated For A Three-Team Trade That Could Reshape Everything
The Hawks have been looking for ways to sharpen the roster around their core, and a recent three-team concept offers a fairly clean argument for why they might be willing to get involved. The framework would help Atlanta address a few needs at once while also creating more salary flexibility, which is the kind of dual-purpose move front offices tend to study when they think a roster is close but still missing something.
Houston is part of the appeal, too, because the Rockets would be adding shooting and a future pick, while Boston would be looking at a separate route to move money and change the shape of its rotation. For Atlanta, the real intrigue is whether this is the sort of upgrade worth paying for now, especially if it means parting with useful depth and a draft asset in a deal that could alter the teams direction. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Give Lamont Butler Another Chance After A Brutal Lost Year
Lamont Butlers path with the Hawks has already been defined by patience, and Atlanta is giving him another runway after a lost year that never really got started. The undrafted guard out of Kentucky first landed with the organization after his college career ended, but an ankle injury kept him out of the 2025 Summer League and a torn ACL wiped out his rookie season with the College Park Skyhawks before it could begin.
Now the Hawks are bringing Butler back on another low-risk chance to keep developing within the system, with the G League route still the most likely next stop. The plan is for him to spend the coming season with College Park, where the organization can keep a closer eye on his recovery and progress while leaving the door open for a bigger opportunity if he shows hes ready. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Are Betting Everything On One Risky Path To Contend
The Hawks spent the offseason leaning into an approach that can feel less dramatic than a blockbuster trade, but no less important to how they see their future. President of Basketball Operations Onsi Saleh made it clear the organization is centering its plan on player development, with the coaching staff and front office treating growth from within as the main path toward becoming a contender.
That means Atlanta is asking a lot from several players whose progress could shape the season, including Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu and Mouhamed Gueye. The idea is straightforward even if the results are hard to predict: if the Hawks are going to take a meaningful step forward, it likely will come from this group continuing to improve rather than from one sweeping change to the roster. [Read more 🡒]