Most Glaring Roster Holes the Atlanta Hawks Must Address in the NBA Draft

What do the Hawks need to address in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft?

Apr 23, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder on the sideline against the New York Knicks in the first quarter during game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

By all accounts, the Atlanta Hawks had a great season. After coming into the year with high expectations, the season got derailed by injuries to Trae Young and Kristaps Porzingis, and the Hawks had to remake their team on the fly, trading for Jonathan Kuminga, CJ McCollum, Corey Kispert, Jock Landale, and Buddy Hield. Those players and the Hawks' new identity propelled them to a 20-6 finish after the All-Star Break, and the Hawks were able to push the Knicks to six games in the first round.

That playoff series exposed holes that the Hawks had on their roster, though. Atlanta's center depth and interior size were huge issues against the Knicks center duo of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson and the Hawks do not have a long-term answer at point guard. After trading Young to the Washington Wizards, the Hawks relied on McCollum, Dyson Daniels, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (as well as Jalen Johnson) to run the offense and create shots, and there were mixed results.

Young clearly had his deficiencies as a player, but he is arguably the best passer in the NBA not named Nikola Jokic, and those four players are not the same level of shot creator. The Knicks took away Johnson's passing in the playoffs, and Atlanta became overreliant on McCollum to run the offense and get shots in their halfcourt offense.

So how can the Hawks fix these issues in the draft?

Draft Options

With the No. 8 and No. 23 overall picks in the first round, the Hawks are going to have options to fill these holes on their roster.

At No. 8, the Hawks could take Michigan center Aday Mara to help them get bigger and add depth behind Onyeka Okongwu. Mara has had a huge rise from March Madness to the NBA Combine, and the 7'3 center has the rim protection skills and passing ability that the Hawks would love to have on this roster and he could be an instant contributor.

The guard options at No. 8 should also be plentiful. Any or multiple of Keaton Wagler, Kingston Flemings, Darius Acuff Jr, Mikel Brown Jr, Brayden Burries, or Labaron Philon will be available for the Hawks to choose from. Acuff, Flemings, and Philon are more traditional point guards, while Wagler, Brown Jr, and Burries are more in the McCollum mold, but maybe a bit better when it comes to passing and playmaking.

What the Hawks do at No. 23 might depend on what they end up doing at No. 8. If the Hawks get a guard at No. 8, do they go center at 23? North Carolina's Henri Veesaar and Kentucky's Jayden Quaintance could be options. If the Hawks select Mara at No. 8, there are going to be guard options at No. 23.

Will these players come in and instantly be high-level players like Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle have been for the Spurs? Maybe not, but they could fill long-term gaps in the Hawks roster as they continue to round out this roster and build a contender.