Projected Atlanta Hawks Starting Lineup and Rotation for 2026-27: Will there be any shakeups?

Training camp begins this week for the Atlanta Hawks and next Monday, they will play their first preseason game of the year.

The Hawks chose a different path than most of the other teams in the Eastern Conference. While teams like Miami, Toronto, Cleveland, and Philadelphia made blockbuster trades to improve their team, Atlanta chose the path of player development and moves to strengthen their depth. They brought back CJ McCollum, Jock Landale, and Mouhamed Gueye, drafted three rookies, including Kingston Flemings at No. 8 overall, and made trades to acquire Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Dorian Finney-Smith.

Will those moves keep them as a playoff team in a competitive Eastern Conference? We will find out.

Once Atlanta inserted McCollum into the starting lineup alongside Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu, the Hawks went 20-6 and that five man combo had one of the best ratings in the league. It might seem easy to suggest that the lineup should be the same, but the addition of Dort makes one wonder whether the Hawks will really try to lean into a defensive first identity.

Let's break it down.

Projected starting lineup

CJ McCollum Atlanta Hawks — Apr 23, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) reacts after a basket against the New York Knicks in the second quarter during game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

G- CJ McCollum
G- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
F- Dyson Daniels
F- Jalen Johnson
C- Onyeka Okongwu

Despite the additon of Dort, I think Quin Snyder will opt to keep the starting lineup the same, at least to start the season.

This group has real synergy and they complement each other well, even though it is not perfect. McCollum gave Atlanta the lead guard it needed after they traded Trae Young and he was the team's best shot maker in their halfcourt offense.

Alexander-Walker was one of the best stories in the NBA last season, improving his scoring from less than 10.0 PPG to over 20.0 PPG and still being a high-level defender.

Daniels is one of the Hawks most valuable players and one of the best defensive players in the league, but he is underrated when it comes to his rebounding and passing. The focus from the outside always seems to land on his struggles as a three-point shooter, but Daniels does so much well that he can work around that. On Friday, Hawks President of Basketball Operations spoke about Daniels and what he means to the Hawks:

"Yeah, I know people look at the shooting of Dyson, but... stare at that, but at the same time, he impacts the game in so many different ways. Like, when he was on the court, obviously he was an all-world defender, but when he was on the court for us, we were better offensively. He's a connector of the game, and great decisions with him. He does so many things. When it comes to the shooting, I have no doubt that that's for things to sum it up to be the best version of himself. Sometimes we forget how young he is, and we talk about who he's in his role. He didn't play much those first couple years in New Orleans, and since he's been in Atlanta."

If Daniels does improve his shooting, the Hawks could take another step.

Onyeka Okongwu does not get the recognition that he deserves, but he was one of the best shooters on the team last season and an underrated defender. He continues to get better and will enter the season as the Hawks starting center for the first time.

So if Dort were to enter the starting lineup, who would it be for?

I think it is safe to pencil in Daniels, Johnson, and Okongwu to starting roles.

I think at some point in every game, you will see Snyder use Dort in McCollum's place and in Alexander-Walker's place to play alongside the other starters to see how they play alongside each other. I do think it is possible that if Dort plays well in place of either one, you could see a lineup switch.

One of the storylines to follow for the Hawks this season is seeing if Dort and Daniels can play alongside each other. If they can, it could be one of the NBA's best defensive duos. If not, Snyder will have to work around it. Dort will need to find a way to be a complementary player on offense and not become another player teams are williing to leave open, which was the case with Daniels.

Expect the same starting lineup that the Hawks used to end the season and in the playoffs, but keep an eye on the different lineups throughout the game and how they perform.

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