Three Atlanta Hawks Fighting For Their Jobs This Preseason

Which players on the Hawks roster are fighting for their jobs during the preseason?

Apr 12, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Asa Newell (14) looks to pass against Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson (16) during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While anything can happen in the NBA, it looks like the Atlanta Hawks roster is set for the upcoming season, at least for the first part of the year. After yesterday's trade to send Buddy Hield and Ryan Nembhard to Charlotte for Dorian Finney-Smith, the Hawks roster crunch has been solved and the team is still under the luxury tax for the season.

That does not mean the Hawks roster is perfect, but for now, Atlanta is likely to be content with what they have and then make adjustments if needed at the trade deadline or sooner.

Training camp is next week for most teams across the NBA, including Atlanta, and there will be preseason games shortly after. Which players on this roster are going to be fighting for jobs this preseason?

1. Asa Newell

The Hawks backup power forward position is going to be the most interesting battle during camp and it only got more interesting with the addition of Finney-Smith on Tuesday.

With Mouhamed Gueye's foot injury earlier this offseason, he is likely going to be out for the duration of camp and the preseason. Gueye is the best of the reserves, but this is going to open the door for Newell and others to make a run at the rotation.

Bringing in Finney-Smith will be a good thing for Newell and Zuby Ejiofor (more on him later). While he had a down season with the Rockets last season, he is a veteran player and Hawks head coach Quin Snyder won't be hesitant to play a veteran player over a younger if he feels he can't trust the younger player.

Newell showed flashes of being a really solid offensive player in his limited minutes last season, but has concerns defensively and will need to prove that last year's three-point shooting numbers were not a fluke.

2. Zuby Ejiofor

Like Newell, Ejiofor is going to be given a crack to be the backup power forward behind Jalen Johnson and I would also say that he is the favorite to be the third center on this team, even before Henri Veesaar suffered a season ending injury.

But the Hawks clearly believe in him and his skillset and if he has a big preseason, he could jump into the rotation. Onsi Saleh said after the draft, they envision him playing a combo 4/5 position and loved his defense and physicality, something Atlanta infused into its roster this offseason with other additions as well.

It might come down to how dependable is his shooting. He shot it well in Summer League, but he was not a good shooter in college and the way he traditionally scored points at Saint John's is not going to work consistently in the NBA. Ejiofor is going to be someone to watch during the preseason and someone who could help the Hawks. Or he could spend a year developing in the G League.

3. Dorian Finney-Smith

He was only acquired yesterday, but Finney-Smith is going to have to show he can still be a viable rotation player in the NBA after the year that he had in Houston last season. Finney-Smith is going to have an advantage over both Newell and Ejiofor in terms of experience, but the Hawks drafted them to be a part of the team's future.

But if Finney-Smith still has something left in the tank for the Hawks in terms of defense and three-point shooting, Atlanta will certainly welcome it. If he gets passed over by the younger players though, it might be clear that it'll be a one-year stint for Finney-Smith.