CJ McCollum is already looking past the grind of last season and toward what Atlanta might become with a full runway.
After the Hawks closed the year by winning 20 of their final 26 games, McCollum said he’s eager to see what the group can do in 2026/27. He was a big part of that surge after arriving from Washington in January, putting up 18.7 points and 4.1 assists in 41 games. For him, the biggest difference now is simple: time.
“I’m just excited to be able to have a full training camp,” he said. “Like I was traded in the middle of the season, so I’m excited about that. Excited about the growth and the potential that a lot of the young guys have, and the experiences that we were able to have this last season competing for a playoff spot, making the playoffs, and then playing against a really good team.”
That “really good team” was New York, which Atlanta met in the first round. The Hawks grabbed a 2-1 series lead before the Knicks ripped off a historic 13-game winning streak on the way to the NBA title. McCollum thinks that kind of matchup will pay off down the line.
“It teaches you how to be better and make moments,” he said. “It teaches you how to execute.
Also teaches you how to prepare. So I’m really just excited about the opportunity to have some more growth moments together as a team.”
Elsewhere in the Southeast, Malik Reneau gave Orlando a strong finish in Las Vegas. He scored 19 points in 18 minutes off the bench Saturday to help the Magic beat Boston and wrap up a 4-1 Summer League run.
The 6-foot-9 forward, who agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with Orlando after last month’s draft, was among the players who saw bigger roles while the Magic sat four rotation regulars. Reneau credited the group’s edge on defense.
“I liked our aggressiveness,” Reneau said. “The way we came out on that defensive end, we got some stops and (were) able to run out and get some easy baskets in transition.”
In Washington, optimism has surged around AJ Dybantsa, whom team owner Ted Leonsis described as a “next-generation prototype.” Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN noted that Dybantsa’s arrival has brought a level of hope the franchise hasn’t felt in a long time.
Pairing him with Trae Young and Anthony Davis, both acquired in trades last season, gives the Wizards a different look, especially alongside a solid group of young prospects. That mix could put Washington in the conversation for the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Young said the team will hold workouts in Los Angeles this summer, and Dybantsa is already looking forward to learning from the veterans around him. “When you’re playing with a guy of that stature, I’ll definitely get easy shots from him if nothing else,” Dybantsa said of Young. “[AD] was the No. 1 pick many years back, so he’s been through a lot of the stuff that I’ve got to go through.”
Davis also said he had “conversations” with LeBron James about coming to Washington, even though the Wizards didn’t match the profile James was seeking in free agency.
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 🡒]