The One Thing the Atlanta Hawks Still Need to Become a Contender

The Atlanta Hawks have had an active, but quiet offseason, if such a thing is possible. Because of the roster crunch that Atlanta is facing, they are going to have to make more moves at some point to get their roster down to 15 spots, as they are currently at 16.

Atlanta has brought back most of their free agents, picked three players in the 2026 NBA Draft, and made a couple of moves on the margins to help their depth.

CJ McCollum and Jock Landale were re-signed to one-year deals, Mouhamed Gueye had his team option picked up, Atlanta drafted Kingston Flemings, Zuby Ejiofor, and Henri Veesaar, and they traded a pair of second-round picks for Aaron Wiggins, as well as acquiring Devin Carter from the Sacramento Kings. Atlanta also declined the team option for Jonathan Kuminga and guaranteed Buddy Hield's contract for the upcoming season, two of their surprising moves.

The Eastern Conference has changed drastically around Atlanta though. The 76ers now have Jaylen Brown instead of Paul George, Toronto acquired Kawhi Leonard, and Miami traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Not only that, but the Knicks are the defending champions, the Celtics still have a very good roster, the Indiana Pacers are getting Tyrese Haliburton back, and both Detroit and Cleveland have talented rosters.

It is not going to be easy for the Hawks to get back to the playoffs. What do the Hawks need on their roster to inch them closer to contender status?

Evaluating the Hawks needs

Quin Snyder Atlanta Hawk — Apr 18, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder reacts during the first quarter of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It is hard to say the Hawks just need one thing to become a contender, but I do think that there are a couple of noticeable holes on their roster.

I think that more reliable depth and rim protection/rebounding could be what holds this Hawks team back in the future.

Those were the two biggest issues for the Hawks during the playoffs and after the All-Star Break.

I think the depth issue could be solved, but the rim protection and rebounding might still be a sore spot for Atlanta this season.

The Hawks are going to hope that Flemings, Wiggins, Landale, and some combination of Corey Kispert, Zaccharie Risacher, Mouhamed Gueye, and Asa Newell to help with the depth.

That might not work.

Wiggins had a very solid four seasons with the Thunder and I think with a bigger role in Atlanta, he should flourish. Gueye has been a really good defender for the Hawks and has improved each season. If he can continue to grow his offensive game, he might be a regular part of the rotation.

Landale was a player the Hawks missed at the end of the season, and he brings physicality and floor spacing behind Onyeka Okongwu. Rim Protection and overall defense are not the best parts of his game, however.

The rest of the depth is unproven, though. Flemings, Ejiofor, and Veesaar should be expected to struggle as rookies, Newell has to make big strides on defense to be trusted in the rotation, and both Kispert and Risacher fell out of favor by the end of the season. Kuminga was the best player on the Hawks' bench at the end of the season, but his future is in doubt, though he could return.

Even if you think Hield will stick around for Atlanta, Quin Snyder did not use him in the regular rotation and his defense continues to get worse as his career goes on.

Again, the Hawks still have moves to make, and it will be interesting to see how they go about the rest of the offseason. There are real questions as to whether Hield, Kispert, and Risacher should be on the roster, and the Hawks have been rumored to be interested in making a bigger move, such as a deal for Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III.

While Atlanta has to make at least one move to free up a roster spot, they could be nearing completion of their offseason and this might be what this group looks like when the season rolls around. It feels as if Onsi Saleh and the rest of the front office are looking to see how the starters improve and if there is a big leap while also seeing how this umproven depth does with more opportunity.

Add us as a preferred source on Google