Best Early Guess at The Atlanta Hawks Depth Chart for 2026-27 Season

What will the Atlanta Hawks depth chart look like next season?

Apr 6, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) shoots over New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Atlanta Hawks still have roster moves to make to trim it down from 17 to 15, but the core of their roster has been set for the upcoming season.

Atlanta is going to have some continuity going into the 2026-2027 season, as they are bringing back a starting five that was very effective over the course of the last 26 games of the season after the All-Star Break. The goal for the Hawks was to get younger and acquire better depth and they largely did that.

While training camp is a little more than a month away, how might the Hawks depth chart shake out? Keep in mind, because of their current roster crunch, two of these players are not going to be on the team when the season starts.

Point guard

Apr 23, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) reacts after a basket against the New York Knicks in the second quarter during game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Starter: CJ McCollum
Backups: Kingston Flemings and Ryan Nembhard

McCollum is going to be the lead guard once again for the Hawks. McCollum was an underrated addition for Atlanta and helped lead them to two playoff victories against the Knicks.

Will he still be effective heading into his age 35 season? That is the biggest question for him coming into the season, but McCollum will be the lead guard for Atlanta.

Kingston Flemings was the No. 8 overall pick for Atlanta and he had a very good showing in Summer League. Flemings is going to have to earn the backup point guard spot in training camp, but he has the talent to raise the level of the Hawks bench.

Nembhard is a candidate to be moved before the season, but he showed promise in his rookie season with the Mavericks, especially on offense. His size would create problems on defense, but it will be interesting to see what the Hawks do with him.

Shooting Guard

Apr 28, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) reacts in front of New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) after being fouled during the first 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

Starter: Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Backups: Aaron Wiggins, Devin Carter, and Buddy Hield

Alexander-Walker won the NBA's Most Improved Player Award after his career best season and he will look to continue his upward trajectory as a player and improve different areas of his game.

Wiggins is going to be one of the top bench options for the Hawks this season after coming over from the Oklahoma City Thunder and I think he could be in for the best season of his career in that expanded role. He will be a versatile defender and three-point shooter for Atlanta.

Carter and Hield are not guaranteed to be on the roster when the season begins, but Carter is the most intriguing of the two. A former lottery pick, Carter has strong defensive skills, but has been injured and not a very good offensive player so far in his young career. He could find his way into the rotation as a defensive specialist.

Hield's contract was surprisingly guaranteed this season and if he is still on the roster, he will probably just be a veteran presence and shooter to be brought off the bench in event of injury.

Small Forward

Apr 28, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) is fouled by Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) as he drives to the basket during the second 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

Starter: Dyson Daniels
Backup: Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Corey Kispert

Daniels is one of the premier defenders in the NBA and an underrated offensive player who is integral to what the Hawks do. He needs to improve his three-point shooting of course, but Daniels is one of the most important Hawks and is key for their success.

Dort is one of the elite defenders in the NBA as well, but adds more physicality and toughness to this team. There are questions about if he and Daniels can play together and his offensive game is going to be something to watch, but adding Dort was a nice addition for Atlanta and one that should give them a strong identity of perimeter defense.

Corey Kispert is another candidate to be moved, and if he is not, I don't anticipate him having a large role on this team other than a deep-bench forward who can provide shooting.

Power Forward

Apr 30, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) shoots against the New York Knicks in the third 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

Starter: Jalen Johnson
Backups: Mouhamed Gueye, Asa Newell, and Zuby Ejiofor

Jalen Johnson is the Hawks best player and coming off a career best season. He made his first All-Star appearance and first All-NBA team, but after a tough playoff series against the Knicks, Johnson is looking to show that he can be the top option on a playoff team.

The backup spot here is going to be one of the most interesting things to watch during training camp. Gueye would have been the favorite for the spot, but his foot injury this summer is going to hold him out of training camp and preseason, possibly into the season. That is going to open the door for Asa Newell and Zuby Ejiofor to take on a larger role.

Newell showed flashes during his rookie season, but spent most of it in the G-League. Ejiofor is another example of Atlanta bringing in toughness and physicality to their roster and he had a strong summer league.

Center

Apr 10, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) warms up on the court prior to the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Starter: Onyeka Okongwu
Backups: Jock Landale and Henri Veesaar

Onyeka Okongwu is one of the most underrated centers in the NBA and is coming off his career best season. Okongwu found a way to stretch the floor last season and is a strong defender and passer. The Hawks need to make sure he is not overtaxed during the season and ready to go in the playoffs.

Jock Landale is back in Atlanta to be the backup center and he had a strong stint with the Hawks after being acquired at the trade deadline. He brings shooting and physicality to the position and could have a career year.

Veesaar is likely to take a developmental year with Atlanta this season and spend a lot of time in the G-League, but his talent is worth watching and he could become a factor later in the year.