Atlanta Hawk Media Day Tracker: Quotes, Notes, Injury News and Takeaways

Welcome to the unofficial start to the 2026-2027 NBA season.

Media days are happening across the league today, including in Atlanta, where the new-look Hawks are going to get a chance to talk for the first time.

There are going to be plenty of familiar faces talking for Atlanta today as well. Head coach Quin Snyder, CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, Corey Kispert, Asa Newell, Jock Landale, and Mouhamed Gueye are all back, though this is going to be the first media day for McCollum, Kispert, and Landale, as they were midseason acquisitions.

It will be the first time that fans are going to get a chance to hear from the newest members of the Hawks. Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Kingston Flemings, Zuby Ejiofor, Henri Veesaar, and Dorian Finney-Smith are going to be talking today and it will be the first time since being drafted that Flemings, Ejiofor, and Veesaar have spoken, while this will be the first time that Dort, Wiggins, and Finney-Smith have a chance to talk.

Training Camp Roster

Here is the roster that the Hawks are carrying into training camp, which will begin in Nashville tomorrow:

G- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
G- Dyson Daniels
G- RayJ Dennis (Two-Way)
G/F- Luguentz Dort
F/C- Zuby Ejiofor
F- Dorian Finney-Smith
G-Kingston Flemings
G- Keshon Gilbert (Two-Way)
F- Mouhamed Gueye
F- Jalen Johnson
G/F- Corey Kispert
C- Jock Landale
G- CJ McCollum
G- Isaac McKneely
F- Asa Newell
C- Onyeka Okongwu
C- Henri Veesaar
G/F- Aaron Wiggins
F- Jalen Wilson (Two-Way)

The Hawks roster is full with 15 guaranteed deals already, and they have three two-way contracts already. They had been in a roster crunch for a couple of months, but over the past couple of weeks, they solved it by waiving Devin Carter and then trading Buddy Hield and Ryan Nembhard to Charlotte for Finney-Smith.

Will this be the roster that the Hawks carry into the season? You should never say never when it comes to the NBA, but already being at 15 players and being close to the tax, it feels like this is going to be the team at least until the trade deadline gets closer. It has been pointed out, but it is worth mentioning again that the Hawks have put together and acquired a large number of expiring contracts that they could decide to use to make a move during the season or to open up a large amount of cap space next summer.

That is a topic for a different day though and the focus at media today is going to be this Hawks team. Stay locked in right here and keep refreshing for the latest updates from Atlanta Hawks media day!

Head Coach Quin Snyder

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NBA, Snyder, Quin Snyder — Apr 30, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder on the sideline against the New York Knicks in the first quarter during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On the addition of Lu Dort/Aaron Wiggins and their impact:

"I think first, to add players with championship-level pedigree, that's something in and of itself that's an excellent addition. Fundamentally, you do understand the importance of defending....that's something our team began to really embrace. It's a crucial element of our team...and when we're grounded there and with our habits, that's when we'll be able to run. Those guys have experienced that."

On CJ McCollum's defense:

"He was one of the guys that we traded for mid-season. We all know what he can do when it comes to creating for others, but I think he was one of the guys who really embraced that [defensive] mentality."

On the first-round series loss to the Knicks:

"Everybody finished their season on a down note except for the Knicks. The challenges we had in the latter part of the series...you saw other teams have those same challenges. I don't think that's reason to dismiss the areas where we can get better. Competiiton provides a mirror for you to get better as a team - playoff basketball accentuates that even more. I think for our team to identify that, independent of the result, and carry it forward....when you get in those moments, you need each other even more and you can understand that intellectually, but when you feel it viscerally and emotionally, you have more opportunity to grow."

On the opportunity to synthesize getting stops on defense to complement the transition skills of Jalen Johnson:

"I think there is. Taking good, high-efficiency shots helps your defense and being an active defense is very important. The ability to change ends quickly and mentally, I think that's something a lot of our guys do."

On the balance between urgency to make lineups work and giving them time to find chemistry:

"It begins with the idea that we are a young team. Sometimes, when you see a group grow, you feel like that happens and it kind of slows down. What we have now is a direction that we want to grow - the players that we brought in, their ability to contribute, the combinations we'll continue to look at and see how different guys make each other better....I think that's something that will happen over the course of the season."

"There's kind of an identity and culture that allows that to take place while we're still playing, while we're still sharing.....I've said before that growth isn't linear and that's true of both the players and the team. There's urgency over the course of the season and there's urgency in the immediate sense."

"Growth is part of the 82 games."

On what he hopes teams will say after the season about the Hawks:

"As much as you respect other teams, I do care about our fans and how they see us. We've got fans that understand that. You saw that towards the end of the year and what you could feel from the fans when we were competing towards the end of the year...I think there was a bond there that you could feel in the arena. That was about competitiveness, unselfishness and that manifested in how we played."

"The things that make us unique, you would hope that other teams see those same qualities in your group. That's our path and every team has a different road to success. Our understanding of the journey and the road we have to take together is important and there's so many things that try to distract you along the way."

"I think we know the direction we want to head. The decisions we made with the guys we brought in, it will continue to provide catalysts for us to head in the direction we want to. The strength of this team is the team and that's something these guys have embraced."

On the loss of Henri Veesaar and big depth:

"One of the things that was the focal point for us was developing and adding to our physicality. How we play, we need to play big, aggressive and competitive. We can be an aggressive, physical team no matter who's on the floor. Us having that mindset is crucial. Rim protection can be a unique thing. Rim preventuon can also be important. That means building a wall and making people break those walls and making it hard to do."

On the improvements from Nickeil Alexander-Walker last season:

"My expectations for Nickeil is a player that puts the team first and competes. We saw him do that night in and out. He was one of the guys who's role evolved throughout the season. The Nickeil we saw in November evolved when we had injuries, the Nickeil we had in December evolved when we had trades. I think Nickeil's ability to find what the team needs is a calling card of his."

"That versatility he has a player and teammate, I think it's a foundation part of our identity. He's lived it, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. His focus has been making people around him better."

CJ McCollum

On what he's looking forward to this season and from the new additions to the roster:

"I'm most excited about going through a full training camp. We were all here on and off in the summer. Everyone was here early in the summer and we were able to build camaraderie and trust."

"Obviously, they [Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins] have championship pedigree. The habits, ability to perform down the stretch of games. The ability to perform in the fourth quarter - the Thunder have won a lot of fourth quarter games and it's because of those guys. It'll be fun to have them."

On his impressions of Kingston Flemings:

"He's super smart, very ahead of his time...His defensive ability stands out coming from Houston."

"We've been able to work out in the mornings, me, him and Nickeil. I think he's very responsive, asks questions and he cares....the work ethic is there. The talent is through the roof.....He's got one really good speed - how do you change it? We'll help him with that."

On what he notices about this team's chemistry:

"It's a unique team because you have people from so many different backgrounds. Guys with different levels of experience - Jock's played in Europe and he actually played against my brother in Europe."

"It's a really cool, eclectic group - a good mix of athleticism, shooting. We're a pretty deep team and I think the things we're able to accomplish in Nashville...the organization has gone a great job of going after guys who care about basketball."

Onyeka Okongwu

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NBA — Apr 28, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) drives to the basket around New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) as Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) sets a pick during the third quarter of game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On what he's looking forward to this season:

"This season should be fun. We've got a great group of guys here - we've gone up with each other a few times in the summer. It should be fun."

On what he's working on a personal level:

"Obviously, shooting, handling, conditioning. Just trying to get away mentally so I can jump into the season with a fresh start."

On the organization's confidence in him entering a important season.

"I love it here. I love that they have a lot of confidence in me. I'm excited for it and I'm ready to see how far we can go."

On him and Jock Landale's responsibilities this season:

"Just trying to be the best we can to be the anchors on the back. We've got some ballhawks - just trying to do our best to handle the paint whether that's me, Jock or Mo."

On his advice for Zuby Ejiofor:

"Show your hands and don't foul. He'll learn - Zuby's looked good and I'm excited for what he's going to bring to our team."

On his impressions of the rookies:

"They're very confident, they don't have a fear factor with them. They're ready to go toe-to-toe with anyone on that roster and I'm excited for that competition coming into training camp."

Zuby Ejiofor

On his offseason runs with Jalen Johnson and LeBron:

"Ain't that crazy? Runs with LeBron and DeMar DeRozan - I only pictured playing with them in NBA 2K. Now, I get to grace the court with some great players. It's a great experience and just getting to learn ways to make an impact on this court with the Hawks - I'm really excited."

On what he's hoping to show:

"Just coming in as a rookie, I think they know what I'm capable of doing otherwise I wouldn't be here. I gotta expend on that. Still do the things I'm capable of doing - rebounding, defending at a high level, energy. I think those are the things you can bring at a high level and everything else is a bonus."

On working on his shot:

"Expanding my volume from college, the 1v1 workouts, I think just getting out there and stepping out with confidence - the coaching staff has a great deal of confidence in me taking the shot and making the shot...I'm not going to be hunting a lot of shots during the game, but whenever it comes to me, I'll be feeling confident in my ability to make the shot."

Jalen Wilson

On being active in the community:

"It's been dope. I've never been a part of making a million meals in one day...It was really eye-opening to see different situations and to have a hand [in] it was amazing. I think Atlanta's an amazing city and diving into that is something that I'm excited for. "

On the guys he's been leaning on:

"Dorian [Dorian Finney-Smith] was the vet during my rookie year in Brooklyn. He's got to play with some really great players. Obviously, Lu and Wiggins, they've got to experience playoff basketball and being a part of that and picking their brain, it was really cool.

On what attracted him to Atlanta:

"I saw how hard they played in the playoffs, saw the fit that I could have with playing around a bunch of great wings - guys like Jalen who makes people better....I figured this is a place that I could be better and this is the most experienced team I've been around. I think this is the total package."

Jock Landale

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