Atlanta Hawks Opening Night Roster and Rotation Prediction: Who's In, Who's Out, Analysis

What will the Atlanta Hawks opening night roster look like when the preseason wraps up tomorrow night?

Oct 10, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith (23) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Opening night is right around the corner in the NBA, and the Atlanta Hawks are going to start their season with a Southeast divisional matchup against the Orlando Magic. Atlanta and Orlando have formed a rivalry over the past few seasons, with the Hawks getting the better of them down the stretch of last season, including a couple of blowout wins.

Over the course of the offseason, leading into the preseason, the Atlanta Hawks were in a roster crunch that they took until training camp to resolve. Moves in September included waiving Devin Carter and trading Buddy Hield and Ryan Nembhard. Atlanta has trimmed down their roster to the regular season limit of 15 and appear set for opening night.

Opening night roster predicton

Guards

• Dyson Daniels
• CJ McCollum
• Nickeil Alexander-Walker
• Aaron Wiggins
• Kingston Flemings
• Keshon Gilbert (two-way)
• RayJ Dennis (two-way)

This is a compotent guard group and the only real knock on them is that there is only one true point guard on the team and that is rookie Kingston Flemings.

Daniels is guard/wing combo who is an elite defensive talent, as well as an underrated passer and rebounder on offense. He might not be a point guard in the traditional sense, but he is going to be a major shot creator for the Hawks this season.

McCollum was the playoff here for the Hawks and even at his age, he can still make shots at a high-level and score the basketball. He is not an elite passer and there are some defensive concerns, but he is a great veteran on this team.

As the reigning winner of the NBA's Most Improved Player Award, Alexander-Walker is looking to show that last season was no fluke and that he can score and shoot the basketball like that on a consistent basis while also being a strong perimeter defender.

Wiggins was one of the big offseason additions from the Hawks and he is another player they are going to count on to create shots and play more on the ball. He was more of a 3-and-D wing in OKC, but the Hawks want more from him than that and a big season could be on the horizon.

Flemings has been one of the stars of the preseason for the Hawks and looks ready to assume the backup point guard role for this team.

While Gilbert and Dennis are going to mostly play in College Park this season, I think they are nice options to have off the bench.

All of these players are going to be on the roster, I believe, but if there was something to watch, I think it could be that the Hawks waive Keshon Gilbert and make Kobe Johnson their other two-way contract. Johnson had a great season in College Park last season and has carried that over into Summer League and the preseason. Johnson is on an Exhibit 10 contract, but the Hawks have until opening night to convert him into a two-way contract.

Forwards

• Jalen Johnson
• Lu Dort
• Dorian Finney-Smith
• Corey Kispert
• Asa Newell
• Mouhamed Gueye
• Jalen Wilson (two-way)

Johnson is the best player on this team and is looking to elevate his game to another level. For the Hawks to get back into the playoffs in a crowded Eastern Conference, he will probably have to.

Dort was the big offseason acquisition for the Hawks and it was a shame that we only got to see him play in one preseason game with this team. He will bring toughness, physicality, and perimeter defense to this team and make them a tough opponent to play every night.

Finney-Smith has not gotten a lot of run in the preseason. Is that because he is still getting acclimated to his new team or will the Hawks just defer to the younger options?

Kispert has gotten plenty of chances to play this preseason and it has been more of the same. Poor defense and not hitting enough three-pointers to justify being on the court for major minutes. Atlanta would probably love to move him, but given his salary and lack of production, that will be difficult.

Newell is going to get a chance to play early in the season because of Mouhamed Gueye's injury, but it has been an up and down preseason. He shows flashes on the boards and scoring, but his defense and three-point shooting are not always there. Can he play well early and stay in the rotation or will he falter and fall behind Gueye once he returns?

Gueye might be a sneaky important player for the Hawks. He is a very good defender and give how weak Jock Landale and Newell are on that end, he might be essential to pair with Landale on defense. There has been no update on when he might be able to return to the court.

Wilson is one of the best two-way contracts in the league and has had a great preseason.

Center

• Onyeka Okongwu
• Jock Landale
• Zuby Ejiofor

Okongwu remains one of the most underrated centers in the NBA and is out to prove that his shooting season a year ago was real. He is one of the most valuable players on the Hawks.

Landale is going to be the backup center to start the year, but this is the biggest role he has ever played and his defensive struggles have shown up in the preseason. If Ejiofor could make progress on offense and be trustworthy, I don't think it is out of the question that he could take this spot by some point this season or the Hawks make a move.

Speaking of Ejiofor, he could also be considered a power forward, but he has been the team's third center throughtout the preseason. He brings defense, toughness, and rebounding, but the offense and floor-spacing bring major questions.

I don't think any major moves are coming for the Hawks ahead of opening night and this should be the roster that is in place when they head south to Orlando next Wednesday.