Ranking Which Atlanta Hawks Departures Could Be Missed Most This Season

The Atlanta Hawks have been busy adding to their team this offseason and making themselves a deeper and more physical team in a competitive Eastern Conference.

The Hawks brought back CJ McCollum and Jock Landale, traded for Aaron Wiggins, Lu Dort, Devin Carter, and Ryan Nembhard, and drafted Kingston Flemings (8th overall), Zuby Ejiofor (23rd overall), and Henri Veesaar (52nd overall). This team looks like a threat to make the playoffs and perhaps even win a round.

But no offseason is free from departures of some kind and the Hawks have had a few. Which guys could they miss the most?

3. Gabe Vincent

Gabe Vincent Atlanta Hawk — Apr 28, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Gabe Vincent (4) looks to pass the ball against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the second quarter of game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For starters, there is only one player in this list that I think could be a legitimate loss (more on that later), but there is a world in which the Hawks might rather have Gabe Vincent on this team.

If Flemings is not ready to play from day one and if Nembhard (if he is on the roster) cannot handle the backup duties, the Hawks could (and I stress could) find themselves wanting a veteran point guard to help run the bench unit. Vincent was average as a backup guard and remains unsigned as of today, but if the Hawks cannot get the needed production from some of these young guys, it could hurt them as a team.

2. Zaccharie Risacher

Zaccharie Risacher Atlanta Hawk — Apr 28, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) warms up before game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Like Vincent, I don't actually think the Hawks are going to miss Risacher all that much, but what if he becomes a more reliable player in Dallas and Atlanta ended up getting rid of him too early? I think a split was good for both sides, but Risacher could improve a lot in a new setting with less pressure on him. There was a lot that went into the team and Risacher parting ways (particularly a $17 million team option that has to be decided on in October).

While I don't think Risacher is going to turn into a star, even in Dallas, I still believe he can be a capable rotation wing in the league, and the Hawks would probably rather have him than Corey Kispert. Atlanta went out and got Wiggins and Dort to help their wing room, but Risacher would have been better than the players behind them.

1. Jonathan Kuminga

While the discourse around Kuminga and how good he was for the Hawks has gotten a bit out of control, he was a good player for the Hawks last season (in a limited sample size) and there is no guarantee that the collection of Dort, Wiggins, Mouhamed Gueye, Zuby Ejiofor, and Asa Newell will be better than Kuminga, though I think they are better fits for this roster.

Kuminga is a very good transition player, can put pressure on the rim, and guard better than you think, but struggles to shoot from three and can be a ball-stopper on offense. All of the guys I mentioned above have their holes, but I think the Hawks will end up being just fine without Kuminga, though he has the talent to prove them wrong in Minnesota.

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