Atlanta Hawks Most Likely Final Move This Offseason

The NBA has entered its most quite part of the offseason, with few matters left for teams to solve. There are still some key restricted free agents out there and Hawks free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga is also unsigned, but the NBA offseason has crawled to a halt.

The Atlanta Hawks still have unfinished business, though, after a busy offseason. Atlanta brought back CJ McCollum and Jock Landale from last year's team, got younger by drafting Kingston Flemings, Zuby Ejiofor, and Henri Veesaar, and also made trades for Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Devin Carter, and Ryan Nembhard. The Hawks are hoping to be a deeper team this upcoming season while hoping their starting unit remains strong.

But ahead of training camp next month, what could be the Hawks final move this offseason?

Solving the roster crunch

Corey Kispert Atlanta Hawk — Apr 25, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Corey Kispert (24) warms up prior to the game against the New York Knicks for game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Like several other teams around the NBA, the Hawks are in a roster crunch right now and have to solve it before next season.

The tricky part is, it might be a while before they decide to do something unless a perfect deal comes about.

Atlanta has 17 players on its roster right now and will need to get it down to at least 15 before the regular season, but they could opt to keep a roster spot open and get it down to 14. I think the following players are going to be safe from being moved between now and the regular season:

Jalen Johnson
Dyson Daniels
Lu Dort (Cannot be moved until Sept. 19)
CJ McCollum
Onyeka Okongwu
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Jock Landale (cannot be moved until Janaury)
Aaron Wiggins
Kingston Flemings
Zuby Ejiofor
Henri Veesaar
Asa Newell

Some combination of Corey Kispert, Buddy Hield, Devin Carter (cannot be traded until August 30th), Mouhamed Gueye, and Ryan Nembhard (cannot be traded until Sept. 19th) will likely be moved before the season. Which combination though is anyones guess.

Kispert and Hield have the least to offer this Hawks roster aside from shooting and if they are kept, I don't think they will see much playing time.

Kispert is going to be the hardest player of the five to trade due to his contract and the fact he was not very good on the Hawks last season.

Hield is on an expiring contract of sorts, but will a team take on a player worth $9.6 million who fell out of the rotation in Golden State and could not find the court in Atlanta?

I think the Hawks preference would be to move either Kispert of Hield, but what if they can't? That is where the other players come in because of their cheap deals.

The Hawks were given a second-round pick from the Kings to take on Carter, and they are hoping to see if the former lottery pick can create a spot in the rotation. However, he has a team option for next season that has to be decided on by Oct. 31, which could make him an expiring contract, and given how cheap he is, he is a candidate to be moved once he can be traded.

Nembhard is on an expiring $2.1 million contract and showed last season with the Mavericks that he can play in the NBA. I think he would hold some value if the Hawks want to move him, but they won't be able to trade him until Sept. 19th.

Gueye is a player the Hawks love and I don't think they would want to move him, but his recent foot injury that is going to keep him out until October/November and his $2.4 million salary is non-guaranteed. If Atlanta cannot move anyone else on the roster, they could look to trade Gueye or even waive him (far less likely).

It is going to be interesting to see how Hawks President of Basketball Operations Onsi Saleh handles this roster crunch and there are no easy answers.

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