(Mandatory Credit: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
The calendar has turned to September. You know what that means, right?! Our offseason outlook series is back for the second-straight year!
Hot Hot Hoops senior writer Matt Hanifan will provide his take on the offseasons of all 30 teams for the next 30 days! We will be going in alphabetical order, beginning with the Eastern Conference. Today, to begin the series, we look at the Atlanta Hawks!
Evaluating the Atlanta Hawks’ 2025 offseason
Additions: Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kennard, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, N’Faly Dante, Caleb Houston
Subtractions: Clint Capela, Caris LeVert, Terance Mann, Garrison Matthews (free agent), Larry Nance Jr., Georges Niang, Dominick Barlow, Daeqwon Plowden
Re-signed: Jacob Toppin, Keaton Wallace
Draft: Asa Newell (No. 23 overall)
Hanifan’s outlook: The Atlanta Hawks were one of my surefire winners of the 2025 offseason. They rebounded after a down 2023-24 season, when they finished just 36-46. Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels broke out, and rookie Zaccharie Risacher flourished in the second-half of last season.
But Johnson was limited to just 36 games after undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in January, and the bottom kind of fell out. Atlanta made the play-in game for the fourth-straight year and was eliminated, ultimately leading to them parting ways with general manager Landry Fields and hiring Onsi Saleh.
Saleh did an excellent job this offseason of surrounding Trae Young with size, athleticism and shooting — adding Luke Kennard and Nickeil Alexander-Walker for team-friendly contracts in free agency, acquiring Kristaps Porzingis at an inexpensive price via trade and drafting Georgia big man Asa Newell, who cracked the “my guys” list and was No. 13 on my big board.
Oh, and they acquired the New Orleans’ 2026 first-rounder unprotected on draft night! What more could you have asked for?
This is Young’s best supporting cast since arriving in Atlanta. This is a put-up or shut-up year for him.
Grade: A
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