The Three Biggest Remaining Questions Facing the Atlanta Hawks

The NBA offseason has slowly wound down and things appear to be in place for next season, barring a couple of free agent decisions. As soon as the Knicks won the championship, the Eastern Conference went to work trying to postion their teams to compete with the new kings of the NBA.

The Atlanta Hawks were the only team that beat the Knicks multiple times in a playoff series, but that did not mean Atlanta was going to try and push their chips in the middle this offseason. They have prioritized bringing back their own free agents, making a couple of opportunistic trades, and drafting three new rookies to help improve their team.

Now that the offseason has begun to settle down, what are three remaining questions for the Hawks?

1. What happens with Jonathan Kuminga?

The Hawks made the decision to decline Jonathan Kuminga's $24.3 million team option for next season and made him an unrestricted free agent. It has been reported that the Hawks might be open to a reunion with Kuminga, but teams such as the Lakers, Bucks, Kings, and Cavaliers have been mentioned as potential suitors for Kuminga.

The Lakers have been the most talked -about team, but after signing Kevon Looney, they only have one roster spot remaining and not much money to offer Kuminga.

Will the Hawks attempt to execute a sign-and-trade with the Lakers or another team? Will they bring Kuminga back? He is one of the marquee free agents left, and his decision will have ripple effects on the Hawks' roster.

2. How do the Hawks solve their roster crunch?

Right now, the Atlanta Hawks have 16 players on their roster on standard contracts. While they don't have to solve this immediately (teams can have 20 players on their rosters during the summer), they will have to figure something out to trim their roster down to 15.

In recent seasons, the Hawks have carried only 14 players on their roster, not including two-way contracts. Could the Hawks move two players in an effort to get to 14?

Another thing to consider is if the Hawks do a sign-and-trade with Kuminga or if they re-sign Kuminga, they will have more room they will have to clear.

The most logical candidates to be moved include Buddy Hield, Corey Kispert, and Zaccharie Risacher.

3. How will the Hawks bench depth shake out?

Jock Landale Atlanta Hawk — Mar 14, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Jock Landale (31) shoots against the Milwaukee Bucks in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The starting five for the Hawks seems set in stone, with CJ McCollum, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu looking to pick up where they left off at the end of last season.

But how will the bench unit shake out, especially if Jonathan Kuminga does not come back?

Jock Landale, the newly acquired Aaron Wiggins, and No. 8 overall pick Kingston Flemings will likely have three major bench roles. Devin Carter, Buddy Hield, Zaccharie Risacher, Corey Kispert, Mouhamed Gueye, Asa Newell, Zuby Ejiofor, and Henri Veesaar are going to be competing for the other 1-2 roles.

The depth is a bit of a question and the Hawks need some internal improvement from players and someone unexpected taking a step up.

Add us as a preferred source on Google