Trae Young Reportedly Reached Out To Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard to Help Recruit Them To Atlanta

It has been a big night for the Atlanta Hawks.

One week after trading for Kristaps Porzingis and drafting Asa Newell, Atlanta reached a pair of huge free agent signings tonight. The Hawks signed Wolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker to a four-year, $62 million deal in a sign and trade that sent a 2027 2nd round pick (via CLE) to the Wolves. Then, the Hawks signed free agent guard Luke Kennard to a one-year, $11 million deal. The Hawks got much better tonight and a big reason for that is their star guard Trae Young. ESPN's Shams Charania and NBA insider Chris Haynes both reported that Young was recruiting both Alexander-Walker and Kennard to the team.

Hawks star Trae Young reached out to Kennard and Nickeil Alexander-Walker this evening to help recruit them to the franchise, sources said. Two big wing gets for the Hawks. https://t.co/uZw0IXQeG0
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025

Hawks star Trae Young was very vocal and active in recruiting Nickeil Alexander-Walker to Atlanta, sources tell me. He was heavily involved in the process to lure one of the top wing free agents on the market.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 1, 2025

Young has quietly been one of the NBA's best leaders and it showed tonight. The Hawks have improved their team quite a bit and are well positioned to make noise in the Eastern Conference next season.

One of the Hawks biggest weaknesses on their roster was shooting and despite adding Kristaps Porzingis already this offseason, they need more of it. Surrounding Trae Young with shooters is a recipe for success and there are not many in the NBA that are better than Kennard. For his career, Kennard is a 43.8% three-point shooter and has not shot worse from 40% from three since the 2019-2020 season. Kennard is not the strongest defender, but he adds an instant boost to the Hawks bench and their shooting.

With the Kennard signing, the Hawks are now at 12-roster spots and three two-way players. They still have three roster spots to fill and other areas to address, but has been a really nice evening for the Hawks and they are starting to assemble one of the best rosters in the Eastern Conference.

The Atlanta Hawks have been making numerous moves this offseason as they build a solid championship contender this summer, based on the moves they have made so far. Since the season ended for the Hawks, they have made front office changes by adding former assistant general manager Onsi Saleh as the new general manager, as well as former Pelicans general manager Bryson Graham and 76ers executive Peter Dinwiddie to senior front office roles.

Apr 18, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) tries to get to the basket against Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell (45) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Hawks, however, didn't stop at just changes within the front office; they also made ablockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics, trading the number 22 overall pick in the NBA Draft, Terance Mann, to the Brooklyn Nets. Georges Niang was traded to the Celtics with a second-round pick in return for Kristaps Porzingis and a second-round draft pick. Following this, the Hawks made a draft-night trade that caused widespread disbelief, as they traded up to the 13th pick in exchange for the 23rd pick and an unprotected first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft

Alexander-Walker is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA and is a career 36% three-point shooter.

This move makes plenty of sense for the Hawks. Alexander-Walker is a very good defender and a career 36% three-point shooter. He becomes a top bench option for the Hawks both on offense and defense. After tonight, the Hawks are a much better team and have addressed some of their biggest weaknesses on the roster. With three more spots to fill, expect more transactions in Atlanta.

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