So far, the Atlanta Hawks have had quite a busy offseason.
At the draft, Atlanta added three new, young players. It used the eighth pick on Kingston Flemings and the 23rd pick on Zuby Ejiofor on night one, then traded up to the 52nd pick to select Henri Veesaar. The Hawks signed all three to standard NBA contracts.
Additionally, the Hawks agreed to new one-year deals with CJ McCollum and Jock Landale, guaranteed Buddy Hield‘s salary, and traded for Aaron Wiggins and Devin Carter from the Oklahoma City Thunder and Sacramento Kings, respectively.
With all the moves Atlanta has made so far, the team currently possesses 16 players with standard NBA contracts. Teams can carry 15 standard contracts into the season, plus three two-way contracts.
As it stands, the Hawks will have to make a move or two to get the roster down to 15 players. That means at least one player will have to go.
The Atlanta Hawks’ Jonathan Kuminga Conundrum
Atlanta took a chance on Kuminga at the trade deadline, acquiring him from the Golden State Warriors. The move mostly worked.
During his brief time with the Hawks, Kuminga averaged 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Though it was in just 19 games, Kuminga made an impact. Fans were also quick to embrace him.
During their two playoff wins, Kuminga combined for 40 points and was a key reason why Atlanta won two games against the New York Knicks.
But, despite the contributions, a $24.3 million team option was just too much money. The Hawks chose to decline it. That said, the Hawks do have the option to execute a sign-and-trade.
Kuminga has garnered interest, but there’s still no formal deal in place. Reports suggest that the Los Angeles Lakers have been engaged with Atlanta on a sign-and-trade deal that would include Jared Vanderbilt and a 2032 first-round pick swap.
But the Hawks don’t seem interested in Vanderbilt. Taking on his $12.4 million contract would also put Atlanta over the tax. Moreover, Vanderbilt has a $13.2 million player option for the 2027-28 season.
More importantly, swapping Kuminga for Vanderbilt would leave the Hawks with 17 rostered players. That would mean the Hawks have to move two players instead of one.
Atlanta is unlikely to bring Kuminga back next season, but that doesn’t mean they have to complete a sign-and-trade.
Atlanta Hawks Could Also Cut Ties With Buddy Hield
Perhaps the most confusing move Onsi Saleh made was bringing Buddy Hield back.
Hield hardly played last season for the Hawks, seeing action in only seven games. The Hawks partially guaranteed Hield’s contract at just $3 million. Atlanta pushed back his date to fully guarantee his contract for the 2026-27 season.
Hield won’t be a rotation player, which makes bringing him back questionable. Of note, Hield also has a player option for next season worth over $10 million.
The Atlanta Hawks have continued to build upon the foundation they recently established. That said, while there is still more work to do, the Hawks having 16 players on the roster has to be intentional.
Saleh will be forced to make more moves this offseason to finalize the roster.
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