Hawks Final Offseason Decision Is Clear Now After Jonathan Kuminga's Decision

With Jonathan Kuminga off the board now, the Hawks final decisions of the offseason can be made

Apr 6, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder reacts on the sideline during the game against the New York Knicks at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For the past month, the Atlanta Hawks only had two things left to do on their offseason checklist.

First, they needed to see how the Jonathan Kuminga situation unfolded. Second, they had to trim their roster down to at least 15.

Well the first part of their checklist is now done. Last night, Kuminga made the decision to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves on a two-year, $13 million deal with a player option in the second deal. Other teams such as the Lakers, Cavaliers, Clippers, Bucks, Bulls, and Blazers reportedly showed interest in Kuminga as a free agent, but in the end, he chose Minnesota and there was no sign-and-trade involved.

Now, the final steps of the offseason are clear for the Hawks.

Roster crunch

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

Ever since they made the decision to trade for Luguentz Dort and Ryan Nembhard, the Hawks have been at 17 players on their roster and have not trimmed it down to 15, which they must do before the regular season begins.

They still have plenty of time to do it though and they might be waiting on a couple of key dates to pass.

It would be pretty surprising if anyone other than Corey Kispert, Buddy Hield, Devin Carter, Mouhamed Gueye, or Ryan Nembhard.

On Aug. 30th, Carter is eligible to be traded, and on Sept. 19th, Nembhard can be traded. Are those the two players the Hawks will move? If so, they will have to wait until those dates to move them, but neither Carter, and Nembhard is going to fetch a large return.

Atlanta would probably like to move Kispert or Hield, but Kispert is going to be tough to move because of his contract. He is overpaid and has multiple years left on his contract and is not a desired asset around the rest of the league. It may take multiple seconds or even a protected first-round pick to move him, in all likelihood, and the Hawks might not be willing to do something like that. He is not likely to be in the rotation this season nor is Hield.

Hield is on an expiring contract (sort of), but has not shown the ability to be a part of an actual NBA rotation in a few seasons. Is a team going to want him on their books at $9.6 million if he can't play?

Nembhard, Carter, and Gueye could all be traded (or waived since their salaries are smaller), but they could be useful on this team, especially Gueye.

There is no clear-cut answer for how the Hawks will deal with this roster crunch, but it is the last thing they have to deal with before training camp.