Three Atlanta Hawks Storylines to Follow As The NBA Offseason Winds Down

The NBA offseason is winding down now that LeBron James has made his decision to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, but there are a number of teams around the league that still have business to do.

The Atlanta Hawks are one of those teams. While Atlanta has not made a blockbuster trade like many of the teams in the Eastern Conference have this offseason, they have been maneuvering and making a well-rounded roster with depth, something they were missing during their run after the All-Star Break (and the entire season for that matter).

There are around two months until media days and training camps get underway. Here are three Hawks storylines to follow between now and then.

1. Hawks roster crunch

The offseason roster limit in the NBA is 21, but they have to be trimmed down to 15 before the regular season begins.

Currently, the Hawks are at 17 players and if they don't add anyone else, they need to move two players off their roster.

But how will they do that?

In a perfect world, the Hawks would love to move both Buddy Hield and Corey Kispert, saving them $23 million in salary and moving their worst contract off their books. That is easier said than done though, as neither contract (especially Kispert) is valued around the league and might require draft picks attached to them to move.

Three other players who could be moved are Mouhamed Gueye, Ryan Nembhard, or Devin Carter. Carter cannot be traded until August 30th, and Nembhard can't be traded until September 19th.

The problem with moving Gueye or Nembhard is their salary and their value. Both players are worth more than their current contract, and having players like that at the end of the roster is necessary. They would be easier to move, though, and would be the easiest route for the Hawks to take to trim their roster down.

Atlanta does not have to do anything in the coming days, but they have to figure out how to trim their roster down.

2. Jonathan Kuminga

Jonathan Kuminga continues to be a free agent and is arguably the most talented player still available.

The list of teams that have shown interest in Kuminga includes the Lakers, Clippers, Cavaliers, and Bucks. The Lakers have been the most prominent team mentioned, but now that James has decided on Philadelphia and not Cleveland, the Cavaliers might get more aggressive.

While the Clippers and Bucks have traded player exceptions they can absorb Kuminga into, the Cavaliers and Lakers would have to execute a sign-and-trade with Atlanta. The Hawks are not going to just agree to any sign and trade and would only do one if it benefits them, but given the roster crunch they are under, that won't be easy.

3. Team options and extensions

There are a couple of items to watch as the offseason enters October.

The most prominent being that Onyeka Okongwu is extension eligible beginning October 1st. Okongwu has two years left on his current deal ($16,100,000 this season and $16,880,000 next season), but is eligible for a three-year, $76.6 million extension before the season.

Will the Hawks extend him at that number? Will Okongwu wait until next offseason to push for an extension from Atlanta? It will be interesting to see how the Hawks and Okongwu both approach this after his career best season.

If he is not moved before then, Devin Carter has a $7,370,897 team option for the 2027-2028 season that Atlanta has to decide on by Oct. 31st. If they decline it, he becomes an expiring salary, one of many that the Hawks have on their books.

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