LeBron James has made his choice, and it changes the picture for the Atlanta Hawks.
After months of waiting, James has opted for a new home for what’s likely to be his final two NBA seasons: the Philadelphia 76ers. That move matters because Philadelphia, which finished behind Atlanta in last season’s standings, has now made two major roster upgrades and suddenly looks like a real problem for anyone trying to climb the Eastern Conference ladder.
For Hawks fans, the concern is obvious. A fully healthy Sixers group would already be a tough matchup, and James only raises the ceiling. He joins Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid on a roster that now belongs in the championship conversation.
Atlanta did make moves of its own, adding Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Kingston Flemings and more. But the issue is that other teams around them have done even more, including clubs that were below them a year ago.
Miami is one of them. The Hawks finished well ahead of the Heat after their late-season surge, but Miami made its own splash by adding Giannis Antetokounmpo. Even with age creeping in, Antetokounmpo is still described as a top-five player in the world, and pairing him with an established frontcourt gives the Heat a chance to make serious noise in the East.
Toronto is another. The Raptors finished one spot ahead of Atlanta after a strange chain of events pushed them up on the final day of the regular season, and they have not stood still either.
The deal is not finalized yet, but Kawhi Leonard is very likely to be on their roster next season. At full strength, that group is better than Atlanta’s, and the Hawks already had plenty of trouble with them last season.
Now Philadelphia enters the mix with what could be the best starting five in the NBA.
That’s not a wild claim, either. The only thing that really stands in the way is health.
Embiid remains one of the least dependable stars in the league when it comes to availability, and his game is slowing down. James is heading into his 24th NBA season, so there’s no guarantee this group spends much time together at full strength.
That means the Sixers will need their younger pieces - Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe - to help define whether this roster is truly built to contend.
In Other News...
Hawks Front Office May Already Have Its Next Roster Swing Lined Up
Atlantas front office has spent the summer leaning into a simple idea: add flexibility first, then use it to keep reshaping the roster around the core it already has in place. That approach already showed up in the move for Lu Dort, a deal that brought in a defensive-minded wing while the Hawks continued to prioritize contracts that wont clog the books for long.
The next swing may be less about one big splash than about which kind of fit Atlanta wants to chase with its remaining leverage. The names being floated point in different directions, from established shooting to athletic wing help to a younger upside play, and the Hawks are clearly weighing performance, contract structure and system fit before making another move. For a team trying to stay nimble without standing still, the decision could say as much about the front offices long-term plan as the trade itself. [Read more 🡒]
Dyson Daniels Could Be The Key To Atlanta's Biggest Question
Dyson Daniels has already established himself as one of Atlantas most valuable defensive pieces, and the Hawks are now entering the first year of the four-year deal they committed to him after back-to-back All-Defensive seasons. The bigger question around him is no longer whether he can guard at a high level, but how much more he can give Atlanta on the other end as he works through the offseason with his shooting.
Daniels has been focused on improving his three-point shot, and that development could shape both his role and the way the Hawks function around him next season. If the jumper takes a meaningful step, it could open up more possibilities for Atlantas offense and make his minutes even more impactful, but the real answer will have to wait until the games start and the new look is tested. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Stuck In Another Kuminga Stalemate For One Frustrating Reason
Jonathan Kumingas next move has settled into the kind of offseason limbo that can drag on for weeks, and Atlanta is right in the middle of it. After the Hawks declined his player option for the 2026-27 season, Kuminga became an unrestricted free agent, leaving the team to sort through either a new contract or a sign-and-trade path that could still bring him to Atlanta.
The problem is that the market has not lined up cleanly with what Kuminga wants, and that has slowed everything down. A few teams are still circling, including the Lakers, but the Hawks are waiting on a resolution that gives them enough value to move forward, while Kuminga continues to hold out for a better financial outcome than what is currently on the table. [Read more 🡒]