How Will The Atlanta Hawks' Rotation and Depth Chart Look After Preseason?

Hawks basketball is almost here and it has a new starting lineup.

With their four preseason games done, the Atlanta Hawks will be back in action this week against the Toronto Raptors. They've made aggressive moves in the offseason, supplemented their depth and seem poised for their best season under head coach Quin Snyder. To be fair, that's not exactly a high bar. After making the playoffs in Snyder's first season and getting drummed out in the first round by the Boston Celtics, the Hawks haven't been back to the postseason in the past two years.

That needs to change this season. The Eastern Conference is as wide open as it has been in years and the Hawks have re-tooled their starting lineup and rotation in order to give them the best chance of competing in it. While the starters seem very clear, how might the Hawks' depth chart shake out as they balance all the new talent they've added?

Projected Starting Lineup

Trae Young, Young, Atlanta Hawks, Hawks, Dyson Daniels, Daniel — Oct 6, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) reacts towards a fan during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

PG - Trae Young: Atlanta's franchise point guard is going to be in the lineup as long as he's healthy. He's still a multi-time All-Star and All-NBA caliber player who's coming off a season where he led the NBA in assists. Young hasn't gotten the contract that he wanted from Atlanta, but he's got an excellent opportunity to drive his price tag up by capitalizing on the best group of surrounding talent he's had since the 2020 ECF run.

SG - Dyson Daniels: The breakout star of last season never really relinquished his spot in the starting lineup as an All-Defensive First Team defender and NBA steals leader. Daniels' offensive leap was arguably even more impressive - he went from being ignored as a shooter to averaging a respectable 34% on three attempts a game. He'll be looking to cement himself as a two-way force for the Hawks in 2025-26.

SF - Zaccharie Risacher: While Risacher didn't fit the traditional mold of a No. 1 overall pick, his second half showed that he can develop into the connective player Atlanta envisioned when they selected him at the top of the 2024 NBA Draft. He shot 40.7% from deep after the All-Star break and showed a clear foundation to build on in Year 2. At only 20 years old, Risacher might still need one more season of development before he becomes a massive impact player for the Hawks. However, the 6'8 wing should be much more consistent in his sophomore year.

PF - Jalen Johnson: The preseason did nothing to quell the hype on Johnson, who has been one of the Hawks' best players after returning from season-ending shoulder surgery. His overwhelming athleticism, great finishing, solid handle and elite rebounding are all tools that should propel him into the conversation for an All-Star nod.

C - Kristaps Porzingis: His health is always a question mark, but there are few players who can defend the rim and shoot threes like Porzingis can. The Hawks are going to have to manage him carefully, but he opens up the team to a new ceiling on both offense and defense when he's on the floor.

This seems almost set in stone. The Hawks have used this starting lineup through their first two preseason games and it falls in line with the vision behind this roster. Every starter is capable of making threes at a respectable clip, which makes Atlanta one of the few five-out teams in basketball. There were some issues with fouling from Porzingis, but it's not a significant enough problem for Snyder to consider elevating Onyeka Okongwu into the starting lineup.

Even though Porzingis is the starter, it wouldn't be surprising to see Okongwu get starts here and there. There is likely going to be a stretch of time where the Hawks are without Porzingis for multiple consecutive games due to how frequently he gets injured. While that's not ideal, they are fortunate to have a backup center who has shown the ability to be a positive starter over an extended stretch of time. Okongwu started almost every game for the Hawks in the second half of the season and had his best season as a pro while doing it.

It's also possible that Nickeil Alexander-Walker might occasionally get some starts alongside or in relief of Dyson Daniels. He has mostly been a bench player throughout his career, but he started 10 games for the Timberwolves last season while playing in all 82 games. Dyson Daniels was remarkably healthy last season, suiting up for 76 games while being limited to under 65 games in each of his past two seasons. Giving NAW a few starts throughout the year in order to keep Daniels fresh might make sense.

Main Reserves

Luke Kennard, Kennard, Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NB — Oct 16, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Luke Kennard (3) tries to dribble against Houston Rockets guard JD Davison (4) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

SG Nickeil Alexander-Walker: He's a fantastic perimeter defender, makes his threes (shot over 38% on 4+ attempts for two straight years) and has a little bit of utility as a passer (2.7 assists per game last year). NAW is a reliable 3&D wing who brings playoff experience to a roster that desperately needs it.

SG Luke Kennard: It's not a stretch to say that Kennard is one of the best shooters in the NBA. He shot 43.3% from deep on four attempts a game last season, which was actually a down season for him relative to his standards. Considering that he'll essentially be replacing Garrison Mathews in the rotation, this could be a underrated piece to help Atlanta in the regular season. His defense makes him a liability.

C Onyeka Okongwu: Okongwu showed that he can be more than a backup center last season - he finished the season averaging 13.4 points and 8.9 rebounds, but those numbers jump up to 15 points and 10.1 rebounds as a starter. He won't get the same opportunity as a starter this season, but he's still going to be a trusted piece for Snyder to deploy in relief of Porzingis or possibly even alongside Porzingis in certain lineups.

PF/C Mo Gueye - Gueye showed flashes of exciting potential last season. He's a solid rim blocker and he had games where he hinted at being something more. His 15 point, 12 rebound and 4 block game against the Bucks stands alone as a clear example. Atlanta's defense was also much better with him on the floor. However, he's not yet consistent enough on offense to significantly factor into the rotation.

PF/C Asa Newell - Newell had a fairly solid preseason considering that he was taken outside of the lottery and didn't show a lot of versatility on either end of the floor in college. If his three-point shot looks better than advertised, he might find a way to significant minutes this year.

NAW, Kennard and Okongwu have their names in bold because they seem to be the first guys off the bench for the Hawks. Both Kennard and NAW have a long history of being trusted veteran players while Okongwu's flashes as a starter and Porzingis's injury history make him an indispensable member of Atlanta's rotation. Gueye and Newell could significantly factor into the rotation, but Newell is a rookie and Gueye still needs to work on his offense. They have work to do before they can eclipse any of NAW, Kennard and Okongwu in the rotation.

Back of Roster

PG Keaton Wallace - He seems set to be the backup point guard on the roster, but it's likely that he won't have a huge role if the Hawks are going to split playmaking duties alongside multiple players. Even so, he'd be the obvious replacement if Young were to get hurt.

PG/SF Vit Krejci - Krejci is a nice end-of-the-bench player who can occasionally get hot from deep and play passable defense. He's a pretty good shooter - he's shot above 40% from deep in each of the past two seasons and he does have some playmaking ability. However, his defense isn't reliable enough for a big role.

C N'Faly Dante - Amidst a narrow Hawks win over the Heat, Dante made an argument to stick on the roster. He only tallied four points, but he had seven rebounds in 21 minutes of action. Being able to rebound the ball at an above-average skill is valuable in the NBA due to how big lineups are getting. He also played well against Bam Adebayo in the limited minutes he had against him, so it's hard to say that it was entirely the product of playing against weaker competition. Dante will be a name to monitor this season even if he doesn't get a lot of playing time.

G Nikola Durisic - After missing his entire rookie season, Durisic will be battling for a spot at the end of the rotation for the Hawks. He's got some playmaking ability, but he hasn't been getting minutes even in preseason. It's hard to project him in for a role this season.

Two-Way Contracts

Eli Ndaiye

Jacob Toppin

Caleb Houstan

The Hawks have a player with legitimate NBA experience in Houstan, who has shot the ball well for the Orlando Magic and does bring some size to the back of the roster. However, he won't be poised for a significant role unless Atlanta has a lot of injuries. Toppin and Ndaiye should spend most of the season in College Park.

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