The Atlanta Hawks were one of the NBA’s biggest surprises in the 2025-26 season.
They went 19-5 over their last 24 games, which allowed the Hawks to finish 10 games above .500 at 46-36. Though they fell to the eventual champion New York Knicks, they pushed them further than any team did in the playoffs. Of course, there are no moral victories, but it indicates that Atlanta is moving in the right direction. With that in mind, the Hawks made some positive moves this offseason to make the team even better.
As of now, the Hawks believe they should be in the mix in a loaded Eastern Conference. Where they fit in such a deep conference remains to be seen, but Atlanta believes they can build upon last season despite the turmoil. It’s not easy changing the direction of a franchise in the middle of the season, but that’s what the Hawks did when they moved Trae Young to the Washington Wizards. Now that Jalen Johnson is the franchise player, Atlanta will look to establish a contender around the All-NBA star.
Hawks’ Biggest Offseason Loss: Zaccharie Risacher
Things went south for Risacher following his rookie season. The aforementioned 19-5 run happened when Quin Snyder opted to bring Risacher off the bench. After just two years, the Hawks moved Risacher to Dallas. The former number one overall pick lands on a young team with a first-year head coach in Dusty May. Perhaps going to a team with low expectations can help turn his career around.
As for Atlanta, moving Risacher signaled that things weren’t working out. It is a tough pill to swallow when a player you draft with the first pick doesn’t work out the way you expect. In fairness, there wasn’t a lot of optimism about the 2024 NBA Draft in general, but you never anticipate moving on from that kind of player after just two seasons.
Here’s a stat: In 78 career games next to Young, Risacher averaged 12.2 points per game on 55.9% true shooting. In 64 games without him, Risacher has only averaged 9.9 points per game on 55.5% true shooting. While the numbers aren’t amazing either way, it appears he benefited a lot from playing next to one of the best passers the league has ever seen.
Things didn’t work out with the Hawks, but Risacher should be in a better situation for his development with the Mavericks. It’s not out of the woods to say Atlanta progressed faster as an organization than Risacher could develop.
Hawks’ Biggest Offseason Addition: Lu Dort
The Oklahoma City Thunder had to make some difficult roster decisions, and Atlanta benefited. The Hawks struck a deal with the Thunder to land one of the top perimeter defenders in the league.
A move like this establishes the identity Atlanta wants to have next season. Last season, the Hawks finished top 10 in defensive rating for the first time since the 2016-17 season. From 2018-19 to 2023-2024, Atlanta was in the bottom 10 in defensive rating every single season. Without Young, the Hawks are going all-in on a defenseive-minded team.
While rim protection could still be an issue, Lu Dort adds more wing defense next to Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. It would not be surprising to see the Hawks rank top five in both steals and opponents’ field goal percentage next season.
As for Dort, a major question for him will be his three-point shooting and floor spacing. Daniels caught plenty of attention for his lack of three-point shooting last season, so Dort must recapture his shot to make playing next to Daniels and Alexander-Walker work as intended.
Hawks’ Best-Case Scenario Outcome
As Atlanta looks to build on their top six finish in the Eastern Conference, staying in the mix this upcoming season should be the goal. The thing is, while the Hawks improved on the margins, teams that had similar records to them last season got significantly better. The Raptors finished with the same record as the Hawks last season. While both teams got better, Toronto added Kawhi Leonard via trade.
The Philadelphia 76ers—who Atlanta swept last season—added significant pieces that push them to the top of contention. The point is, the Hawks got better, but with the Eastern Conference being as strong as it appears to be, finishing in the top six will be difficult. Assuming Atlanta can avoid any more major injuries before the season starts, they should be competing for a playoff spot, even if that means returning to the Play-In Tournament.
Hawks’ Worst-Case Scenario Outcome
With how loaded the Eastern Conference is, there is a possibility the Hawks miss the playoffs altogether next season. Not only did teams around them get better, but bottom feeders from last season like the Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards should be a lot better this upcoming season. Even so, Atlanta’s roster is well balanced, and their defense should keep them in a lot of games. However, injuries are a part of the sport, and you have to prepare for the possibility that they can wreck a season.
The Hawks lost Mo Gueye for at least the start of the 2026-27 season. Second-round pick Henri Veesaar suffered a season-ending torn ACL in a workout. The season hasn’t even started yet, and the injury bug is already affecting the team. The good news is Atlanta has the depth to deal with Gueye’s injury. Veesaar wasn’t expected to contribute with the Hawks either way, but a year of crucial development will be lost while rehabbing. The expectation is for Atlanta to be competitive, but there are many possibilities in a deep Eastern Conference.
Hawks’ Biggest Question Heading Into 2026-27 Season
Saleh and the Hawks have executed on a vision to become a top-tier defensive team. Last season, Atlanta ranked sixth in points per game (118.5), fifth in three-point percentage (37.1%) and first in assists per game (30.1). Can the Hawks replicate or improve on that offensive output this upcoming season? Daniels and Dort did not have great three-point shooting seasons, but perhaps they are outliers.
Daniels was a respectable 34% three-point shooter during the 2024-25 season. While not great, he showed the ability to knock it down occasionally. As for Dort, his 34.4% mark from three was a far cry from his 41.2% mark from the previous season. The idea of playing them together is great, but they will have to provide adequate floor spacing for the Hawks’ offense to avoid stagnation.
Leave a comment