Where Does the Hawks Front Office Rank In The NBA?

The Atlanta Hawks have not been known to have a savy front office during their existence, but that could be changing.

After firing Landry Fields last April, Atlanta promoted Onsi Saleh to lead the front office and his first offseason had one massive success along with a couple of smart swings.

Saleh of course made the trade during the 2025 NBA Draft to acquire the most favorable 2026 1st round selection between the Pelicans and the Bucks. Right now, New Orleans is sitting at 3rd in the lottery odds and Milwaukee is 9th. In a draft class that is looked at as one of the most loaded of all time at the top, Saleh made a move that could result in the Hawks grabbing a franchise superstar to pair with Jalen Johnson.

Saleh also signed Nickeil Alexander-Walker to a fantastic contract. Alexander-Walker was supposed to be a prominent bench player, but with Trae Young gone, he has emerged as a starter and is having a career season. He should be a factor for this team moving forward.

The big swing and (kinda) miss was the trade for Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis only played 17 games and was very good when on the floor, but he has been traded for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield. While the trade did not work out, it is hard to criticize Saleh too much for that given that the Hawks only gave up the No. 22 pick in the draft and got off the Terance Mann contract, which was a huge plus.

It is too early to judge his first NBA trade deadline. The moves he made did make the team worse in the short term, but they added a trio of second round picks and a high upside player in Kuminga. Even if Kuminga does not fit, the Hawks could just decline his team option or pick it up and trade him.

Where does he rank in the league?

Onsi Saleh Atlanta Hawk — Sep 29, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Mandatory Credit: Atlanta Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh poses for a photo during Media Day. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

It is hard to judge because Saleh is near the end of his first full season, but CBS Sports analyst Sam Quinn ranked the Hawks front office 13th in the league:

"The Hawks were last year's big risers, and they seem to have nailed the two most important moves of the summer. That widely praised Derik Queen trade? Yeah, thanks to Milwaukee's struggles, it looks even better today than it did in June. As of this moment, no team in the NBA has better odds at the No. 1 pick. The Hawks have a 14% chance at No. 1 through New Orleans and another 4.5% chance through Milwaukee.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker has improved in exactly the ways the Hawks hoped he could in an on-ball role. Now they have a killer two-way guard who can scale up or down in usage as needed. He's probably a bit overtaxed in his current role, but that's a good problem to have. As we learned with Trae Young, point guards are not considered especially valuable right now. The Hawks need more creation, but they can find it. If they want to use cap space this offseason, they can generate around $26 million of it (with some wiggle room on either end depending on where they draft). Or, if Jonathan Kuminga looks like a keeper, they'll have the full mid-level exception at their disposal too. Speaking of Kuminga, that was a zero-risk, high-reward swing considering his team option for next season.

The Hawks had to give away Kristaps Porziņģis to get him, but they clearly no longer trusted him medically. That creates a long-term hole at center, but remember, the Hawks also shed the three-year Terence Mann contract in that deal, so the Porziņģis trade was still mostly a win. There are still questions here, and the track record is too short for a higher ranking than this, but the Hawks are in a good place. Remember, 2026 isn't even the only incoming pick they own from the Pelicans and Bucks, as next year, they'll get the lesser pick between those teams with a top-four protection. That gives them all of the ammunition they'll need to find extra shot-creation and a center."

This summer is shaping up to be a very important one for Saleh and the Hawks. The draft lottery is going to be one of the most important days in franchise history given the strength of this class and they have a chance to have a lot of flexibility in the summer depending on what they do with Kuminga and if they were to shed some additional salary, such as moving Kispert. The Hawks have some intriguing pieces on their team, but they are still a ways away from title contention. Saleh looks like the right guy to lead them to where they want to go, but this summer will be telling.

Where does he rank in the league?

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