Five Expiring Contracts That The Atlanta Hawks Might Target This Summer

The Hawks have repeatedly mentioned how much they want flexibility going forward - the best way to preserve that is by looking into players on expiring contracts.

Jan 23, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) dribbles past Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

While newly-minted Atlanta Hawks President of Basketball Operations Onsi Saleh hasn't been in the main role for that long, it's clear that he's extremely opportunistic with expiring deals. These types of deals are going to be especially interesting trade targets in the offseason because they don't come with a significant amount of long-term risk and it's a mutually motivating situation for both the team and player. The player is incentivized to perform at his best while the team gets a head start on evaluating how that player might fit into their long-term plans.

Last summer, the Hawks turned Georges Niang and Terence Mann into an expiring Kristaps Porzingis. They flipped Porzingis into Jonathan Kuminga after it became clear Porzingis couldn't stay healthy. While Kuminga is hardly guaranteed a spot in the Hawks' future plans, he gave them good minutes at times and an off-ramp from the Zaccharie Risacher experience.

It seems incredibly likely that Saleh will add a player on an expiring contract this summer if the price is right. The Hawks have clear needs in their backcourt, but they could also use center depth and one more wing with playoff experience. Given the strengths of the draft class, it'd make sense to spend either of their two first-round picks on a guard and then supplement the wing/center issue with a veteran. Because Jalen Johnson is the primary ball-handler, Atlanta doesn't need someone to step in and assume a ton of on-ball reps. However, the inability to find a consistent answer at the 3 this season put a cap on the long-term ceiling of this core. Furthermore, the development curve of wings and centers might incentivize Saleh to value postseason experience and contributions at those positions.

Who could that veteran be? Here are five possibilities who all have playoff experience and shown signs of making a positive impact when the games become massive.

Dillon Brooks - F, Phoenix Suns

Jan 23, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) shoots against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Admittedly, it would probably take an aggresive offer to pry Dillon Brooks away from the Suns in a trade. Phoenix was surprisingly competitive in a tough Western Conference last season and just ran into a way better Oklahoma City Thunder team in the first round. Brooks was critical to their success - he averaged a career-high 20.2 points on 43.5/34.4/84.2 splits and did a great job of being Devin Booker's sidekick. It carried over to the playoffs as well where he had back-to-back 30+ point performances in Games 2 and 3 of their first-round series against OKC. His defense isn't as good as it once was, but his strength and tenacity on that end are still formidable. Per NBA Advanced Stats, Brooks finished out the season as a 90th percentile isolation defender.

He only played in 56 games, but there's reason to trust that he can keep this production up for the next two or three seasons. Phoenix would love to keep him, but they don't have anything in the way of future draft picks, young players or wings. Brooks is already 30 and the Suns may want to see what they can get for a player that would have real trade value. If Atlanta puts No. 22 and Risacher on the table, I think it would be hard for the Suns to automatically reject that.

Andrew Wiggins - F, Miami Heat

Dec 26, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins (22) drives the ball towards the goal against Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) during the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Wiggins is obviously past the prime of his career where he was named to an All-Star team and locked down both Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum on his way to winning the 2022 NBA Finals. However, he's still a productive NBA wing. He averaged 15.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting a career-high 41.4% from deep on 4.9 attempts a game. In addition, he can contribute in an off-ball role (career-low USG% of 19.7% in 2025-26) and still holds his own on defense. Wiggins saved his best performance of the year for when the Heat needed him the most - he gave Miami 27 points and four threes in their tight play-in loss to the Hornets.

He can't be traded until he makes a decision on his $30 million player option. After his decision is due on June 29th, he can opt into the deal and be traded on the option. James Harden famously did this when he was on the Philadelphia 76ers and later got traded to the Clippers. If the Heat shop Wiggins after he picks up the option, turning Risacher/Kispert, some 2nd rounders and Buddy Hield into Wiggins would be an interesting gamble.

Derrick Jones Jr - F, Los Angeles Clippers

Nov 10, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. (5) moves the ball up court against the against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Quietly, Derrick Jones Jr is still only 28 years old and he's already shown he can be a critical rotation player on a Finals-level team when he was with the Dallas Mavericks. He was playing off the gravity of Luka Doncic, but there's always a role for athletic 3&D forwards under the age of 30 and the Hawks would be a great landing spot for him. He averaged 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists last season on 60 TS%. The Clippers were a +3.8 in the 1292 minutes he played with them last season and he's a great defender. His stop percentage of 3.2% was in the 84th percentile among all guards last season and he averaged 1.4 blocks last season as a wing, which is in the 98th percentile among all guards. Jones would fit well with the transition-based style that the Hawks have leaned into and gives them another tough, reliable defender who can still space the floor in the playoffs.

At only $10.4 million next season, there's tons of ways that the Hawks could fit his deal into their books next season since it only takes up 6.35% of the salary cap. Due to his age and their relatively clean cap sheets for the future, there's also a good chance they could keep Jones throughout the rest of his prime. He only played 50 games last season, but he played 70+ games in back-to-back seasons prior to last year. If he can stay healthy, there's a great chance that the Hawks could turn him into another massive offseason win like they did with Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

Paul Reed - C, Detroit Pistons

Mar 25, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) shoots on Atlanta Hawks center Jock Landale (31) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Paul Reed may not be a household name, but he's quietly one of the most impactful players on the Pistons' roster. The Pistons had an elite defensive rating of 108.2 with him on the court this season and he was noticeably more aggressive around the basket this season, shooting 74.9% around the rim on 7.4 attempts a game per 75 minutes. That held up in the playoffs - he shot 76.2% around the rim on 9.8 attempts a game. He also attempted 6.6 shots from short midrange distance (94th percentile among all PFs) and converted them at an impressive 71.4% clip (95th percentile among all PFs).

Reed is only 26 years old and arguably outplayed Isaiah Stewart as Detroit's backup center last season. Although he's undersized and can sometimes play above his role, he's on an expiring $5.6 million deal and fits with the athletic lineups that the Hawks have featured. They need a shot blocker and Reed's career-high 6.6 BLK% last season suggests he'd be good to have as a backup or occasional starter if they can get him for a reasonable price.

Max Strus - F, Cleveland Cavaliers

Apr 10, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (2) tries to pass against Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

By this point, it's clear that Max Strus is a guy that just fits on successful teams. Strus has racked up playoff experience from his time with the Cavaliers and the Heat, turned himself into a deadeye shooter over the past two seasons and makes the hustle/IQ plays that don't show up in the stat sheet. He's shot above 38% for each of the past two seasons on around six attempts a night, averaged a career-high 5.4 boards last season and turned in multiple huge playoff games for his teams.

Strus took on the Jalen Brunson and Cade Cunningham assignment during this postseason and held his own while hitting six threes in two different playoff series - Game 1 of the Cavs' series against the Raptors and Game 5 against the Pistons series. His Game 5 against Detroit was particularly impressive because he came off the bench and the series was tied. Without that performance, the Cavaliers probably don't make the conference finals.

The Hawks need more players who give his type of two-way effort and can take on difficult defensive assignments. At only $16.6 million, Strus seems like a great target from a Cavs team that needs to start thinking about trimming salary and getting cheaper in order to stay below the first apron. He'd be able to slot right in as the starting SF and could concievably take a shorter-team deal to play out the rest of his prime with the Hawks.