The Three Stories That Will Define Atlanta Hawks Training Camp

The NBA season is just about a month away, and training camp is just two weeks away for the Atlanta Hawks.

The Hawks have been an under the radar team this summer given all of the chaos that has been going on in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta did not make any blockbuster trades like Miami, Toronto, Philadelphia, or Boston, opting to rely on player development, their draft, making smaller trades, and retaining the main pieces from last year's team that saw success after the All-Star Break. Is that the right approach? We will see, but that is the path the Hawks front office chose.

When looking ahead to training camp, what are going to be the storylines to follow?

1. New additions, new roles

Luguentz Dort Oklahoma Cit — May 24, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Luguentz Dort (5) drives the ball while defended by San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) in the fourth quarter during game four of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While some of the Hawks roster is leftover from last season, there are new additions and how they fit on this team and the roles they have is the top story for me when training camp hits.

Atlanta drafted Kingston Flemings (8th overall), Zuby Ejiofor (23rd), and Henri Veesaar (No. 52), re-signed CJ McCollum and Jock Landale, and traded for Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Ryan Nembhard. They also guaranteed Buddy Hield's contract for the upcoming season, as well as picking up the $2.4 million team option for Mouhamed Gueye.

Will the Hawks keep their starting lineup of McCollum-Nickeil Alexander-Walker-Dyson Daniels-Jalen Johnson-Onyeka Okongwu that was so successful last season? Does Dort enter the lineup? Is Flemings ready for a big role right away? What about the other rookies? Is Wiggins ready for a major role after being the 10th or 11th player off the bench for OKC?

It will bleed over into the season, but figuring out roles on this team is going to be huge for this team.

2. Position battles

There are not many position battles like you might see in NFL traning camp or in college football, but there are a couple of rotation spots that are going to be worth keeping a close eye on for Atlanta.

First, the backup point guard spot. While CJ McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker are the starting guards (most likely) for the Hawks, neither one is a true point guard. That is one of the reasons the Hawks drafted Flemings with the No. 8 pick and he is the favorite to be the backup point guard on this team, taking the minutes that Gabe Vincent played late last season.

But he is going to face competition from Ryan Nembhard, who was acquired from the Dallas Mavericks this offseason. Nembhard had a solid season as a undrafted player in Dallas last season and if Flemings is not ready, it is nice the Hawks have someone who has NBA experience, though his size is a major issue on defense.

The other spot is power forward. Jalen Johnson is going to eat up a lot of the minutes, but which one of Mouhamed Gueye, Asa Newell, or Zuby Ejiofor is going to challenge for a spot in the rotation? Gueye has the experience edge, but his foot injury is going to prevent him from participating in training camp and the preseason. This is a big opportunity for Newell and Ejiofor.

Atlanta also does not have a clear answer at their third center spot, which is a bigger deal than you might think. If Landale or Okongwu goes down, who steps into the backup center spot? Is it Veesaar or Ejiofor?

3. Player Development

Entering the offseason, Onsi Saleh said the biggest leap for this team was going to come from internal development and not from massive star trades right now. The Eastern Conference has gotten a lot better around the Hawks this offseason and for them to not fall behind, they need their core players to continue developing.

This team could have a whole new ceiling if say Jalen Johnson went from being a third-team All-NBA player, to a first-team All-NBA player. Is that in the cards? Maybe not, but it would change the outlook for this team if he did. Can Nickeil Alexander-Walker go from Most Improved Player winner to potential All-Star? What about Dyson Daniels and Onyeka Okongwu?

Development and progression are not linear in the NBA and every player develops or does not devleop differently. The Hawks felt comfortable making this bet on their roster and they need to see it pay off or they could fall back into the play-in tournament.

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