The Hawks spent their summer resisting the temptation to chase a splashy fix, and that might be the most revealing part of the whole offseason. After finishing 20-6 after the All-Star Break and becoming the only postseason team to beat the Knicks multiple times in a series, Atlanta could have talked itself into being farther along than it really was. Instead, the front office stayed on message: keep building, keep adding, keep growing.
That approach showed up in a mix of draft picks, free-agent retention, and smaller trades rather than one headline-grabbing move. And if you want to know how Atlanta attacked the offseason, the clearest answer is that it tried to deepen the roster now while also protecting the future.
The biggest long-term swing came with the No. 8 overall pick, where the Hawks selected Flemings. Atlanta entered the offseason needing help at point guard, both immediately and down the road, and Flemings was brought in to address that.
He has already shown in Summer League why the Hawks see him as a fixture for years to come. This season, he should back up McCollum.
Eventually, the expectation is that he takes over. His game fits this roster, and there is real star potential there.
McCollum himself was another major piece of the summer business. He had become a key part of the rotation after arriving from the Wizards in the Trae Young trade, but the Hawks got more than they probably expected.
McCollum settled in as Atlanta’s lead guard and shotmaker, then helped power the team to two wins over the Knicks in the playoffs. Bringing him back made sense on the court and in the locker room, and he should keep starting alongside Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, and Onyeka Okongwu.
Another move that could pay off in a big way is the addition of Aaron Wiggins. He gives Atlanta a versatile defender and a knockdown three-point shooter, and the Hawks should give him every chance to carve out a real role off the bench.
There’s even a path where he becomes a Most Improved Player contender, though whether he plays enough to actually win it is another question. Atlanta has had two straight winners in Daniels and Alexander-Walker, and Wiggins could make it three.
That’s an important move for this season, but also for the future of the organization.
The Hawks also made a quieter but necessary move by bringing back Jock Landale on a one-year deal. He fit the team and scheme well late last season, spacing the floor, playing with physicality, and rebounding.
Center has been a problem spot for Atlanta, especially when Landale was injured in the playoffs, so getting him back gives the team some stability. The deal is short and could be movable in a trade, but the Hawks needed another center and Landale is hoping to pick up where he left off.
Then there’s the rookie angle, where Atlanta added two more young bigs in Ejiofor and Veesaar. Of the two, it may be harder for them to get on the floor right away than for the other Hawks draft pick, but the organization would love for both to develop faster than expected and make a year-one impact.
Ejiofor may have the clearest opening after the injury to Mouhamed Gueye, who will be out at least 3-4 months with a foot injury. That could create a path to immediate minutes.
Ejiofor has already flashed defensive ability and better-than-expected three-point shooting in Summer League, and he has been one of the most impressive rookies.
Taken together, the Hawks didn’t chase the loudest summer. They chased the one that made the most sense for where they are: young, improving, and still building.
In Other News...
Hawks Just Made A Stunning Decision On A Former No. 1 Pick
A late-summer shakeup has sent one of the leagues most closely watched young wings into a three-team deal that also pulled Oklahoma City into the mix. Atlanta landed Lu Dort from the Thunder and added point guard Ryan Nembhard from Dallas, while the Thunder collected three second-round picks from the Hawks as the framework of the move came together.
For the Hawks, the return gives the roster a very different look and adds another layer to a front office that has not been shy about making bold swings. The trade also underlines how much value Atlanta placed on reshaping the deal around immediate pieces and future flexibility, even as the full impact of the transaction will take time to sort out. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Just Gave Jalen Johnson What Atlanta Could Never Build Before
The Hawks latest roster shakeup brought back Lu Dort and Ryan Nembhard after sending Zaccharie Risacher to Dallas and three second-round picks to Oklahoma City, and the move says a lot about the direction Atlanta wants to take around Jalen Johnson. Dort is the kind of rugged perimeter presence the Hawks have long lacked, and his arrival gives the front office a chance to build something sturdier on the defensive end than the groups Johnson has had to work with so far.
Pairing Dort with Dyson Daniels changes the look of the lineup in a way Atlanta simply could not offer Trae Young during his time there. Young is now with the Washington Wizards, where the defensive support is better than what he had in Atlanta, but not nearly as strong on the perimeter as what the Hawks are assembling now, which makes this latest move feel less like a one-off trade and more like a real answer to a problem that has lingered for years. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Keep Doubling Down On One Identity Fans Can't Ignore
Atlantas roster work this summer has leaned hard into a clear identity, one built around toughness, length and a perimeter group that can make life miserable for opposing guards and wings. The Hawks have been adding pieces that fit that mold, and the result is a team that looks more committed than ever to playing a physical brand of basketball on the edges.
The catch is that all of that depth brings its own questions. With the rotation getting more crowded and the lineup options multiplying, Atlanta still has to figure out how the pieces will sort themselves out and who settles into the clearest roles. For a team trying to turn an identity into wins, that next step may matter as much as the additions themselves. [Read more 🡒]