The Atlanta Hawks have had an active, but quiet offseason, if there can be such a thing.
While other teams in the Eastern Conference have been busy making blockbuster moves to try and move their teams into contention, Atlanta has been looking to retain their own players, add depth to the bench, and nail the draft.
The Hawks were one of the league’s best teams after the All-Star break, going 20-6 and having one of the best net ratings in that span, but they fell in six games to the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks, though they were the only team to take multiple games from the Knicks in a playoff series.
Which of these moves from the Hawks did we like best and which move left us puzzled?
Best move- Trading two second round picks for Thunder guard/forward Aaron Wiggins
This move happened over two weeks ago, right before the NBA Draft, but was not officially announced until yesterday when the league’s moratorium was lifted.
Atlanta saw that the Oklahoma City Thunder were in a financial crunch, as well as a financial crunch and took advantage by getting Wiggins, a player who has gotten better in each season since being drafted in 2021 and was a key figure on the Thunder’s bench during their NBA title run in 2025.
The Hawks bench was a weakness for most of the season, including after the All-Star break, but Wiggins is going to give this team versatility on the defensive end and really good three-point shooting.
Wiggins played in 339 career games (100 starts) while with Oklahoma City, owning averages of 8.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 20.3 minutes (48.7 FG%, 38% 3FG%, 78.4 FT%). His 38% from three-point territory is the eighth-highest amongst all active players who were drafted in the second round and the fourth-best mark amongst all members of his draft class.
Getting him for two second round picks is a steal and Wiggins fits the Hawks timeline perfectly. Atlanta became the first team in NBA history to have back-to-back Most Improved Player Winners and while Wiggins might not win the award, he might be able to take his game to a higher level in Atlanta.
Move we did not like- Guaranteeing Buddy Hield’s Contract
This is not an indictment of Buddy Hield, who was a great presence in the locker room for this young Hawks team. Hield can still play in the NBA, but at nearly $10 million, it was a headscratcher that the Hawks decided to guarantee his contract for the upcoming season instead of waiving him and saving $6 million.
Hield came to Atlanta along with Jonanthan Kuminga at the trade deadline, but he was never a part of Atlanta’s main rotation. That is one of the reasons that it is so puzzling the Hawks guaranteed his contract for next season.
When the move initially happened, it was assumed that the Hawks were close to a trade that involved Hield’s contract, but nothing materialized and he is still on the roster. Currently, Atlanta has 16 players set to be on standard contracts next season and they will need to get that down to 15 before training camp.
Could the Hawks decide to keep Hield and have him be a veteran presence on the team and used as a shooter when necessary? Sure, but at nearly $10 million, that is a lot to be paying someone who was never in your rotation last season. Atlanta could still trade him at some point in the future as well.
Hield can still play in the NBA, but is a bit overpaid right now and it was surprising that Atlanta decided not to just waive him and save salary and a roster space.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
