The Atlanta Hawks’ roster math got messy fast.
After their blockbuster three-team deal with the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder brought Luguentz Dort to Atlanta and sent out Zaccharie Risacher, the Hawks are sitting on 17 standard contracts. That leaves them needing to trim two players before opening night, and the front office now has to sort through a crowded mix of guards and wings to figure out who fits and who doesn’t.
Atlanta has built up depth in the backcourt and on the perimeter, but that kind of depth comes with a price. Minutes are tight, and the team appears focused on improving around its core of Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, and the recently extended CJ McCollum. With that in mind, these are the five names that look most vulnerable.
Buddy Hield is the clearest candidate at the top of the list. He still brings the kind of shooting contenders always want, and he played 55 games last season while shooting 34.9% from three over 51 appearances.
But the Hawks’ wing group looks a lot different now with Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins in the mix, and that makes Hield’s role far less certain than it seemed not long ago. His expiring contract also gives Atlanta an easy path if it wants to use him in a trade later in the 2026-27 season.
If not, the Hawks could still decide that opening a spot and letting a veteran land with a contender is the cleanest move.
Corey Kispert comes next, and the logic is similar. He averaged 18.6 MPG in 58 games last season and shot 46.7% FG and 36.7% 3-PT FG, so there’s no question he can help an NBA team.
The problem is fit. Atlanta already has plenty of wing options after adding Dort and Wiggins, which makes Kispert’s biggest strength - shooting - less of a separator on this roster.
That also means he could draw real trade interest before training camp, especially from teams hunting reliable three-point help. If no deal comes together, the Hawks may simply prefer to give those minutes to younger players.
Devin Carter is another guard caught in the squeeze. Atlanta brought in the former Sacramento Kings guard, but the roster is now crowded enough that development becomes a real issue.
Carter averaged 18.4 MPG in 38 games last season, shooting 41.4% FG and 26.5% 3-PT FG, and the Hawks may not be able to carve out enough time for everyone. His trade restriction adds another wrinkle, since he cannot be moved until August 30, 2026.
If Atlanta needs to get down to a compliant roster before then, Carter is one of the easiest names to point to.
Mouhamed Gueye’s situation is tougher because of the timing. He played 15.3 MPG over 77 games last season, but a fractured foot is expected to keep him out for several months.
That makes it hard for Atlanta to justify carrying him while trying to win now. His contract also gives the Hawks flexibility because it isn’t fully guaranteed, and that can matter a lot when a front office is trying to keep the roster efficient.
Add in the arrivals of Zuby Ejiofor and Henri Veesaar, and Gueye is suddenly buried before he can even get back on the floor.
Ryan Nembhard rounds out the list. The 23-year-old point guard was just acquired from Dallas in the Zaccharie Risacher blockbuster, but he walked into a situation that was already crowded.
Nembhard shot 41.5% FG and 35.6% 3-PT FG in 60 games as a rookie last season, so the talent is there. Still, Atlanta now has CJ McCollum, Dyson Daniels, and first-round pick Kingston Flemings competing for the same minutes, and there’s only one ball to go around.
The complication is that NBA trade restrictions prevent the Hawks from flipping him until September 19th, 2026. If they need to get roster compliant before then, waiving him could become the simplest answer.
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