News Hawks Team Notes

[Atlanta Hawks]

Keaton Wallace returns on two-way contract

Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images

The return of Keaton.

The Hawks have made one more transaction towards their (up to) 18-man roster for the 2025-26 season, and this one is a familiar name. Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution broke the news of Keaton Wallace signing an outstanding qualifying offer for a two-way contract:

Per league source, Keaton Wallace has signed his 2-way option.

— Lauren L. Williams (@WilliamsLaurenL) July 18, 2025​

With the injury to Kobe Bufkin last season, Wallace was thrust into a role as, at times, the backup point guard to Trae Young. He appeared in 31 games last season, starting five, including being part of a couple of big wins.

His first career start was a game against the Boston Celtics without Young when he played 32 minutes, helping the Hawks knocked off the defending champions in a pivotal NBA Cup group game. In a January game against the Chicago Bulls, Wallace poured in a career-high 27 points when he and Daeqwon Plowden powered the injured Hawks to a road win.

In the final regular season game of the season, he recorded a triple-double with 15 assists, one of just eight players to do so last season:

Players to record a 15-assist triple-double this season:

Nikola Jokic
Giannis Antetokounmpo
LeBron James
Cade Cunningham
Russell Westbrook
Josh Giddey
RJ Barrett

and now Keaton Wallace

— Wes (@bloghawk) April 13, 2025​

That game also made him the only player in franchise history to log at least 15 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds and 5 steals in a single contest.

Those box score explosions were, of course, few and far between, as he averaged 5.4 points and 2.6 assist per game in 2024-25. But he’s a player who simply knows his role as an on-ball guard defender and shooter when needed.

Welcome back, Keaton Wallace!

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2025...contract-atlanta-hawks-latest-news-free-agent

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hawks lose final Summer League game 101-80 to Celtics

Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images

Final from Vegas.

The Summer League Atlanta Hawks went up against the Boston Celtics in their final matchup in Las Vegas, as they started off 4-0. Despite the undefeated record, the point differential was not good enough for them to make it into the final four.

That may have led the coaching staff to play regular starters, and the Hawks ran a starting lineup of Dwight Murray Jr., Adam Flagler, Javan Johnson, Jack White, and Nelly Junior Joseph.

The Hawks started off in a 7-0 deficit, but were able to get back in the game with a few 3-pointers from Murray and Stephens. The Hawks ended up taking a 10-8 lead, but the Celtics put their foot on the gas once again, and took back the lead.

Deivon Smith exploded to the rim for this dunk to cut down the Hawks’ deficit in the quarter.

Deivon Smith rises up for a lefty jam pic.twitter.com/A2s8FuAuEz

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) July 20, 2025​

Both teams got some 3-pointers to go down during the period, but it was the Celtics that went into the second quarter with a 27-20 lead.

The Celtics went on a 10-2 run to start the quarter, as the Hawks were not able to find easy shots and were also turning the ball over.

The Hawks fought back in the quarter, and Kobe Johnson started it off with a pull-up jumper.

Kobe Johnson drills a pull-up triple pic.twitter.com/oxsVbwO6Ig

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) July 20, 2025​

The Celtics increased their lead once again, but the Hawks answered toward the end of first half, with McVeigh knocking down a 3-pointer to cut their deficit down to nine points, and they went into halftime down 48-39.

The Hawks got their deficit down to as much as five points in the third quarter. They turned defense into offense quickly, and Joseph got out on the break for a dunk.

Cookies and a dunk! pic.twitter.com/K3GPEsnPx6

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) July 20, 2025​

Johnson showed off his perimeter skills in the first half, and in the second half, he showed his ability to make plays in the paint.

Kobe to the rack ️ pic.twitter.com/NUOFgoJdU8

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) July 20, 2025​

The Hawks got into another offensive slump, and the Celtics ran up their lead, this time by as much as 21 points. Going into the fourth quarter, the Hawks trailed 71-50.

White tried to spark a Hawks’ comeback early in the fourth, with this and-one.

Jack White transition and-1 pic.twitter.com/OBMjiqBE7f

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) July 20, 2025​

Smith got another dunk during the game.

Two hands for Devion Smith this time ️ pic.twitter.com/1DuNiLanLt

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) July 20, 2025​

It was going to take more than that for the Hawks to get back into the game, but the Celtics were still getting whatever they wanted on offense to keep their lead. The Hawks did find an offensive rhythm down the stretch of the game, but the Celtics had an answer for everything they threw at them.

In the end, the Hawks' undefeated streak came to an end.

Johnson finished with 14 points and six rebounds, Joseph finished with 11 points and nine rebounds, and Flagler finished with 10 points.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2025...summer-league-game-recap-boston-celtics-video

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hawks vs. Celtics, Summer League: start time, TV, stream, radio, game thread

Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images

Last game until September.

The Summer Hawks narrowly missed out on competing for the trophy, but they look to finish a perfect campaign today against the Boston Celtics.

Please join in the comments below as you follow along.

Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen​

Location: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV

Start Time: 6:00PM EDT

TV: ESPN U, FanDuel Sports Network Southeast (FDSNSE)

Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM), SiriusXM

Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network app, Fubo

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2025...league-start-time-tv-stream-radio-game-thread

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

A new look coming for Peachtree Hoops in August

Our coverage remains the same but with a new look

In just a couple of weeks, Peachtree Hoops is switching to a new platform as part of SB Nation’s network-wide move to a new publishing platform. This will change the look of the site and also make it faster and more reliable on any device you use. This is an upgrade.

When you land on the site, it will look cleaner – less clunky, with more white space, a better ad experience with faster load times – but will still have all the usual articles, analysis, and news by all the folks you know.

Community discussion and content created by you will be more prominent in the new design. The best comment threads will be easy to find, and staff and commenters alike will be able to start conversations whenever they like with a brand new tool.

We’re planning on an early August reveal, so we wanted to give you a heads up. You’ll hear more from us when it’s almost here. The site will look a little different, feel a little faster, and, most importantly, have a bigger role for you, the community.

So, stick around and check it out!

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2025/7/24/24472169/a-new-look-coming-for-peachtree-hoops-in-august

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Whose stock is up and whose is down after Summer League?

Photo by Garret Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

What did the young Hawks show us?

2025 Las Vegas Summer League has concluded, and the Atlanta Hawks were able to show off their young talent en route to a 4-1 showing in the format.

With all eyes on players both new and returning, let’s take stock after the five-game slate and see what each of the prominent Hawks did with their opportunities.

Stock Up​

Asa Newell

After a quiet first game, the rookie first rounder sure found his footing.

For one, who knew he had this kind of shot from outside? The mechanics already look smoother than last year in college as he drained 6-for-14 (43%) of his attempts from deep in four games. It’s a small sample, so don’t think he turned into a stretch big overnight (especially after a 29% three-point shooting career at Georgia), but this development is still encouraging.

Elsewhere, once he tapped into his physical strengths, he began overpowering opponents with his length and leaping ability to pounce on rebounds and finish around the rim. Newell filled the box score in averaging 14 points, eight rebounds, an assist, a steal, and a block on 25 minutes a game, and accordingly his chances at cracking the frontcourt rotation have ticked upwards over the past two weeks.

Jacob Toppin

Toppin had to pull out of the rest of the competition after the third game due to a hip injury sustained in the overtime thriller against the Houston Rockets. But for those two and half games, he looked like the Hawks’ MVP. In 23 minutes a game, he averaged 15.3 points on an efficient 57/40/67 shooting and generally looked too good for Vegas.

He showcased an all-around mastery of the game between his shooting, handle, activity and communication among the many contributions for the squad. Toppin looks nothing short of a strong two-way contract forward who could even find his way into the Hawks rotation at some point in next calendar year.

Eli N’Diaye

Sadly, the other two-way player on the summer team could muster just one game due to a wrist injury. But in that one game, he showed strength, burst, and agility rare for a previously unknown 21-year-old who went the Real Madrid academy to senior team route as opposed to the collegiate route.

N’Diaye was seemingly everywhere on most defensive possessions, deflecting passes and providing deterrence at the rim despite a listed 6-foot-8 height. That plus a functional handle, outside shot, and strong rebounding means he could continue to turn heads going forward this season with the Hawks.

Nikola Djurisic

This time around, Djurisic had a stronger summer — not just on the court but also in his wallet. Before the first game even tipped off, he earned some guaranteed dough heading into the regular season. That was a pleasant reward for a player who had a long journey back from a nasty foot fracture suffered last Summer League.

While his debut game was filled with defensive blunders, and he still has a way to go towards playing consistent team defense, his floor vision and scoring in Summer League showed marked improvement from last season until now. The stats don’t wow you — 11.8 points per game on 47% shooting (55% true shooting), 3.5 assists (but 2.2 turnovers per game), and pedestrian ‘hustle’ stats — but Djurisic largely looked in control when handling the ball and operating as a secondary playmaker.

At just 21 years old and making the absolute minimum salary for a standard contract player with no financial obligations beyond 2025-26 from the team’s side, there’s little risk in continuing to develop his game as a jumbo creator in a league that increasingly values jumbo creators.

Stock Holding​

Kobe Bufkin

A third-year former first-round pick should dominate this competition. Bufkin didn’t quite do that, and even wearing rose-colored glasses his performance was no better than up and down.

He did manage to stay healthy for the entire competition for the first time in three years and show flashes, but after shooting just 38% from the floor (50% true shooting percentage) and having some issues with turnovers, there remain concerns for Bufkin — who now sees fierce competition at the backup guard spots on the standard roster.

Per Keith Smith of Spotrac, a Hawks scout had this to say about his summer:

I’m a little worried about him. Athletically, he’s fine. He’s too quick and too strong for guys here (Las Vegas Summer League). But he’s got to shoot it better. And he has to stay healthy. Hopefully it will come together for him.

He may have a chance to prove himself further in training camp and preseason, but despite being available, working hard on defense, and clearly proving he’s back from his shoulder injury, he still faces an uphill climb towards significant minutes for the team this season by the looks of it.

Stock Down​

Lamont Butler

The defensive-minded undrafted rookie guard Butler was reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune to have a two-way contract figuratively on the table right after the draft. But with all three spots now filled (Toppin, N’Diaye, and Keaton Wallace), no further word on his contractual status, and zero on-court action in Las Vegas due to an ankle injury, his status for the franchise going forward is a complete mystery.

If I had to guess, at best he’ll now pen an Exhibit 10 deal (an unguaranteed training camp deal) with the Hawks and eventually end up on the College Park Skyhawks roster for the next step in his development.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2025...s-opinion-kobe-bufkin-asa-newell-jacob-toppin

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Are the Hawks finally East contenders?

Photo by China Wong/Getty Images

Some in the media seem to think so.

Despite being eliminated in the Play-In Tournament for the second year in a row, things are looking up for this franchise. The Hawks have seized upon an opportunity to climb the ranks in the Eastern Conference, and fans and neutral observers alike are now taking notice.

After acquiring two young promising starters in the 2024 offseason in Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher, and promoting longtime backup Onyeka Okongwu — who is still just 24 years of age — to the starting lineup, the Hawks made more moves this offseason in an effort to compete going forward.

To recap, Atlanta acquired Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard as their major trade and free agency moves with, frankly, minimal on-court contributors out the door in their place. Atlanta could also see a boost from young players, Asa Newell, Kobe Bufkin, Mouhamed Gueye, and others breaking out if the cards fall the right way.

These reasons, along with last year’s East contenders suffering major injuries to their core players, have turned heads in the media to the promise and potential in the team at the moment.

With the dust largely settled in free agency, save for the major restricted free agents, let’s take a look at what prominent journalists and bloggers are saying about the Hawks’ place in the East as it relates to contending or non-contending tier placements.

First, Chris Herring of ESPN placed the Hawks in the so-called “[t]eams on the cusp after reloading” tier, the second overall tier below the Cavaliers and the Knicks:

Atlanta Hawks

In that same vein, arguably no Eastern Conference team leveled up more this offseason than the Hawks, who shored up their defense by acquiring Porzingis and versatile wing Nickeil Alexander-Walker while also picking up sharpshooter Luke Kennard. They also landed the Pelicans’ unprotected first-round pick next season while trading back only 10 draft spots — seemingly a theme this summer, given how little the Hawks surrendered to make these upgrades.

It was a heist of a summer for Atlanta, which, after finding gold last season in placing pesky wing Dyson Daniels next to Trae Young, has not only a heavily improved defensive approach but also one of the East’s best top-to-bottom rotations. Just like Orlando, the Hawks are going for it in what figures to be a wide-open race in the East.

Then, a former ESPN employee and popular podcaster, Zach Lowe, gave the Hawks serious props, placing the Hawks in his top overall tier with the likes of the Cavs, Knicks, and Magic. Lowe is a frequent backer of the Trae Young-era Hawks, with him having been burnt by a dinner wager on the Hawks finishing top-five two seasons ago — something that, uh, did not eventuate.

This year, on his podcast the Zach Lowe Show hosted by The Ringer, Lowe doubles down, saying in part:

“A lot of this is me betting on Trae Young responding to being in a contract year — potentially for the whole year — the right way which we started to see signs of last year.”

He later brought up Jalen Johnson returning from injury:

“[Johnson] is the guy I’m least worried about on the team. I think he’s going to be awesome.”

The guest on that recent episode, Michael Pina who is also a staff writer at The Ringer, did share concerns about the team as a contender, and he couldn’t quite place the Hawks as high as Lowe did. But he did break out his tiers in a similar manner and ended up placing them in the second tier alone — one called The People’s Champion.

Here’s how I organized the East’s 15 teams in six different tiers:

— Michael Pina (@michaelvpina.bsky.social) 2025-07-25T13:37:25.986Z

If nothing else, these podcasters and writers and many others all agree that the Hawks will be both fun to watch this season and pose a real threat to the top dogs in the East. After years of people dismissing the Hawks as mid-conference fodder, it’s good to see the positive support for the direction of the team going forward.

What do you think? Are these tier placements for the Hawks fair to you? Please let me know in the comments below.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2025...-johnson-east-contenders-nba-news-latest-espn

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Brittney Griner shines as Dream end road trip with statement victories

Brittney Griner #42 of the Atlanta Dream shoots the ball during the Dream victory over the Minnesota Lynx on July 27, 2025 | Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images

Atlanta returns home after defeating two of the top three teams in the WNBA.

The Atlanta Dream return home after defeating two of the top three teams in the WNBA. After the wins, Atlanta sits at 15-10 with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.

Brittney Griner scores season high in points​

Brittney Griner scored 22 points in Atlanta’s upset victory over the league-leading Minnesota Lynx in Minneapolis on Sunday. This tally included a made three-pointer on her only attempt from long range, along with four rebounds, three assists, and just a single turnover despite playing 30 minutes in the game. Notably, only two of Griner’s eight made shots were layups. Griner demonstrated solid touch with her shooting from outside the key with six of her converted shots coming from at least five feet away from the basket.

In Atlanta’s previous game against the Phoenix Mercury, Griner also tied her season high in field goals made with eight. Wednesday’s game was her first time playing in Phoenix since she left the team in the offseason as a free agent. The Mercury honored her with a touching tribute before the game and Griner returned the favor by scoring 17 points with eight rebounds.

@espnw
A special tribute for a Mercury legend (via @Phoenix Mercury) #wnba #brittneygriner #mercury

♬ original sound - espnW

If Griner can stay healthy and continue to contribute with significant minutes while scoring inside the paint and limiting opposing teams around the basket, she will increase Atlanta’s potential ceiling and force opponents to defend the Dream differently.

The Dream return home after an extended road trip and All-Star break​

Atlanta will host the Golden State Valkyries for the second time in 2025 on Tuesday night. They defeated the Valkyries 90-81 in their first matchup on July 7th — this will be the first home game for Atlanta since that victory.

Atlanta finished their six-game road trip with a 3-3 record. The travel started poorly with losses against the Indiana Fever (with a then-healthy Caitlin Clark) and New York Liberty. In both games, Atlanta held leads, including a seven-point margin against Indiana and a notable 19-point margin against New York. Unfortunately, they were not able to close out against either team.

Atlanta bounced back in their third road game to defeat the Chicago Sky 86-49 in their final game before the WNBA All-Star break. Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, and Brionna Jones were present in Indianapolis for All-Star festivities. Gray scored 18 points for the victorious Team Collier, while Jones scored 11 points as an injury replacement for Team Clark in a losing effort. Howard was ruled out with a leg injury through the end of July and did not participate in the All-Star game.

Photo by Tyler Kaufman/NBAE via Getty Images
Rhyne Howard #10 and Allisha Gray #15 of the Atlanta Dream arrive to the Orange Carpet as part of AT&T WNBA All-Star 2025 on July 17,2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Atlanta upset two of the top three teams in the WNBA​

After the All-Star break, the Dream opened the second half with a loss to a struggling Las Vegas Aces team, falling to 1-3 on their road trip. Atlanta then flew to Phoenix in a back-to-back matchup with a third-place Phoenix team that is getting healthy for the first time all season. Stars Kahleah Copper, Satou Sabally, and Alyssa Thomas have missed time with injuries in 2025 but were all available for the game against Atlanta. Despite this, the Dream were able to upset the Mercury after getting out to an early 26-17 lead through the first quarter. In addition to Griner’s excellent scoring game, Allisha Gray scored 28 points, shooting 10-for-16 from the field — with Jordin Canada adding 14 and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scoring a season-high 11 points off the bench.

Atlanta was then able to close out their road trip on a high note as they handed the first-place Minnesota Lynx their first home loss of the season. A 46-32 lead at halftime dwindled to just three points in the final two minutes of the third quarter, but Atlanta was able to hold on to win 90-86. Canada had her third-highest offensive output of the season with 18 points while Walker-Kimbrough set a new season-high with 12 points off the bench.

Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough #32 of the Atlanta Dream drives to the basket during the game against the Minnesota Lynx on July 27, 2025 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

With their wins over the Mercury and the Lynx, the Atlanta Dream showed that they are capable of beating the best teams in the WNBA. Atlanta will look to continue their momentum with four of their next five games coming against teams with losing records in the bottom half of the standings. Atlanta currently sits in fourth place, something that would give them home-court advantage in a potential playoff opening round.

What impressed you in the Atlanta Dream’s victories over the Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota Lynx? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2025...r-atlanta-dream-recap-breakdown-analysis-wnba

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Four Hawks to take part in FIBA Eurobasket 2025

Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images

The Hawks are going global.

With the summer in full swing, international basketball takes the reins from club basketball for the next month plus. The major tournament this cycle is FIBA Eurobasket 2025, the top European competition that is now held every four years.

The 2025 edition will be held across multiple countries: Latvia, Poland, Finland and Cyprus. The preliminary rosters have largely been whittled down to the final rosters, and the games will begin late this month (August) with the final being played on September 14.

The Hawks will be well represented in this edition, with four players taking part in the proceedings for their respective home countries. Let’s examine each of them:

Zaccharie Risacher — France​

Risacher is coming off a strong rookie season in the NBA when he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. Now, Risacher gets his first chance to impress with the senior France team on the international stage.

He’s previously played for the U19 French national team — helping his side win silver at the FIBA World Cup in 2023 — but this will be a step up for him. This is a strong team, with tons of NBA talent like Guerschon Yabusele, Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly joining him. However, Victor Wembanyama, recovering from a deep vein thrombosis scare, along with veterans Rudy Gobert and Nicolas Batum, will give way to the new generation looking to take home gold.

Kristaps Porziņģis — Latvia​

This competition will be a very interesting one to monitor for a key acquisition this offseason. Kristaps Porzingis struggled with injury issues the past two seasons in Boston, including a respiratory illness called post-viral syndrome that sapped his stamina in the most recent edition of the playoffs.

Porzingis has recently stated that he is now past those issues, saying in a recent interview with Sports Studija (a Latvian sports news outlet, translated):

I feel fantastic, to be honest. I took time to rest after the season. Something was lingering during the playoffs—I had fatigue, dizziness, even moments where I felt like I might faint. It wasn’t great.

In June, I fully rested and lowered the intensity. All of that has gone away. I haven’t felt any of the playoff symptoms anymore. I feel great and ready to join the national team. Super happy.

Latvia are longshots to win the tournament with just recent NBA players like Dāvis Bertāns and Rodions Kurucs the next biggest names on the roster. But this will act as a ramp up back to a high conditioning level for the Unicorn this offseason.

Vit Krejčí — Czechia​

Vit Krejčí is the only current NBA player on the Czechia national basketball team roster for this competition, although fans may recognize league veteran Tomáš Satoranský and former number six overall pick Jan Veselý. This will be a nice showcase for the 25-year-old guard/wing to lead the international team forward as he enters a partially guaranteed season with the Hawks in 2025-26.

Eli John N’Diaye — Spain​

We didn’t get to see a lot from N’Diaye at Las Vegas Summer League due to a wrist injury. But the two-way forward flashed some real athletic gifts in just one game, and his inclusion here indicates the wrist is or will be fully healed by the time the games are played.

Spain is a regular powerhouse in this competition, winning gold in four of the past six editions and bronze the other two times. Of course, the era of the Gasol brothers has come to a close, and Spain will be looking for other names to take the mantel of the proudest side in European international basketball.

N’Diaye (21) is, of course, much too young to be expected to do much this year, but this experience will go a long way towards adapting to high-level basketball on a big stage.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2025...acher-kristaps-porzingis-fiba-eurobasket-2025

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hawks drop news of return of popular uniforms

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

I hope you’re hungry for peaches.

On Friday morning, the Hawks’ social media accounts dropped a campaign of familiar images and videos.

Peach Up A-Town Down

The Peachtree City Edition jersey is back for next season! pic.twitter.com/r25PdsOQKm

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) August 1, 2025​

Every season, the team — along with the other 29 NBA teams have alternate Nike City Edition uniforms — dons alternate jerseys, shorts, and sometimes even an alternate court in State Farm Arena. With all focus on 2025-26, the Atlanta Hawks are looking to bring back a popular set from years past.

The Peachtree City Edition gear is returning for this upcoming season, the team announced Friday. The set was last worn in the 2022-23 season, and it looks to feature the original color scheme of Electro Peach and Sunset Haze.

You can go to this page within the Hawks’ website to sign up and join the team at the High Museum of Art in Midtown Atlanta for a live Atlanta Hawks City Edition release event. The date and time: Friday, November 7 at 6:00 PM.

More details to be released this week.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2025...city-edition-peachtree-trae-young-latest-news

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Welcome to the new Peachtree Hoops: A fresh look, fewer ads and a new feature

Things will look a little different around here today.

A few weeks ago we told you something new was coming to Peachtree Hoops and today it’s here. Things are cleaner, faster and easier to use. There are the same writers, coverage, comments, and community you’ve come to rely on, now with less clutter and clunkiness.

Let’s dive in. If you scroll down the page on your phone or computer, it’s smoother. You’ll notice that the most talked-about stories have a bigger font displaying the number of comments. You’ll also see a section called Active Conversations to point you to the busiest conversations right now.

But there’s two changes we’re most excited to tell you about:

Fewer ads for logged-in users​

Our loyal readers and commenters are the heartbeat of our communities, and with this new design we’re excited to offer them fewer ads when they’re logged in. Specifically:

• Video players will no longer chase you down the page. Just scroll past one and it will be gone.
• Full page pop-ups that would sometimes interrupt your commenting experience have been disabled.

You can log in or sign up here and check it out.

A new feature by the community, for the community: The Feed​

Today we’re launching a brand new space for you to come together. The Feed is a running stream of posts and updates from you, the community, mixed in with links and updates from the team and our staff. Think of it as our community’s group text where you can easily grab your phone and share a link to a story, post a question or write your own post on the day’s news.

You can find it in two places:

• On the homepage, adjacent to the top stories. Community participation is core to who we are, so we want it right on the front page to share your stuff.
• A devoted homepage for The Feed where you can see the full stream of posts coming in from the community. You might want to bookmark that.

Log in or sign up here and you can start posting on The Feed and seeing fewer ads immediately.

Today’s launch is a big deal for our community, and it’s also a kickoff of broader efforts to build around the community we have here. Soon you’ll get alerts when someone replies to your comment or your post on The Feed, with more to come thereafter. We want to put the community in the driver’s seat, so let us know what you want in the comments below or in The Feed.

If you want to dig into more of this updated experience, head over to this post on sbnation.com from SB Nation’s Head of Product Ed Clinton, where he expands on the changes in our ads and design. Ed will be responding to questions in the comments. If you have any questions about how to log in to our new system, check out this article from last week.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/late...oops-a-fresh-look-fewer-ads-and-a-new-feature

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Naz Hillmon’s rise propels Atlanta Dream winning streak

The Atlanta Dream have been unpredictable throughout the 2025 WNBA season, as demonstrated by their disappointing loss to the Golden State Valkyries following impressive road upsets against the Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota Lynx. However, the Dream are currently riding their first three-game winning streak since mid-June thanks to an unexpected and emerging force. With starters Rhyne Howard and Brittney Griner out with injuries, Naz Hillmon has taken advantage of the opportunity for increased playing time and has entered the conversation for end-of-season awards.

Atlanta’s volatility in comeback wins​

Sunday’s home game against the Washington Mystics captured the roller coaster ride of rooting for the 2025 Atlanta Dream. Atlanta missed their first eight field goal attempts, falling to an early 16-4 deficit. Fans at the Gateway Center traditionally stay standing until the Dream make their first shot, but many in attendance sat down after head coach Karl Smesko called a full timeout at the 5:52 mark. Allisha Gray’s first field goal for the Dream did not come until there was 2:54 remaining in the first quarter.

After being outscored by 11 points in the first frame, momentum shifted as Atlanta outscored Washington by 28 points over the rest of the game, easily winning by double digits. The slow start mirrored Atlanta’s game against Phoenix, in which the Mercury got out to an early nine-point lead within the first three minutes of the game. Atlanta similarly rallied, ultimately leading Phoenix by as many as 35 points before emptying the bench in the fourth quarter. With their second win over Phoenix in the month of August, the Dream clinched the playoff seeding tiebreaker over the Mercury, as the two teams face off just one more time this season. With both squads within a half-game of each other in the standings for third place in the WNBA, the head-to-head tiebreaker could be the determining factor in securing a playoff home court advantage.

Naz Hillmon generating awards consideration​

Naz Hillmon had played in 27 games this season before making her first two starts in Atlanta’s last two games as a result of Brittney Griner’s absence due to a neck injury. In her two starts, Hillmon averaged 35 minutes with 14+ points and 9+ rebounds in each game. These performances followed Hillmon’s game-winning three-point shot to defeat the Dallas Wings in Atlanta’s final game of July.

Naz Hillmon for the win!(another player with a season high v Dallas)

— (@talkingwbb.bsky.social) 2025-07-31T09:10:35.417Z

Even before being thrust into a starting role, Hillmon had increased her offensive production, taking at least seven shots in nine straight games and leading the team in rebounds in four of her last five games. After making just one of six three-point attempts in her first three WNBA seasons, Hillmon has completely altered her game, shooting 35-104 from three-point range in 2025.

With her improved performance, Hillmon has gained praise from her coaching staff and teammates, as thoroughly described by Michael Waterloo in a July article. In a more-recent postgame press conference, Coach Smesko stated that Hillmon “should be strongly considered for Sixth [Woman] of the Year.” Hillmon has spoken about her teammates encouraging her to continue shooting from long range. She is consistently praised by All-Star teammates Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray who took care of (literally) showering Hillmon with praise after her game-winning shot.

Hillmon would be the first Atlanta Dream player to win the Sixth Woman of the Year Award; teammate Brionna Jones earned the recognition in 2022 while playing with the Connecticut Sun. Hillmon currently has the Dream’s best +/- statistic. If she maintains her play at its current level, it may force the coaching staff to discuss Hillmon playing with the starting rotation even after Brittney Griner returns from injury.

A difficult road ahead​

After two games at home, Atlanta now embarks on a difficult six-game road trip that will see them play in the WNBA’s first international regular-season game. After traveling to Chicago, Phoenix, and Seattle, the Dream will cross the border to play a second game against the Storm in Vancouver, before returning stateside to face Golden State and Las Vegas. The Friday night “WNBA Canada Game” will tip off at 10:00pm on ION on Friday, August 15th.

Atlanta’s eventual return home will not be easy, as their first two games will be against the two teams currently atop the league standings, Minnesota and New York, followed by a matchup against A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces.

All statistics are from www.wnba.com unless otherwise noted.

Should Naz Hillmon be starting for the Atlanta Dream? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/atla...ons-rise-propels-atlanta-dream-winning-streak

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Why there’s no reason to worry about Trae Young’s situation – yet

The Most Valuable Player trophy is handed out every year, and unless the Hawks rocket up the standings this year, there’s little chance that a Hawk will stake claim to that award this season. Trae Young, since being drafted in 2018, has yet to even receive a top five vote for MVP.

Still, there’s an argument to be made that Trae Young is the most indispensable player in the league. No team is so singularly dependent on one player to burden the bulk of the offense outside of the obvious all-world players like Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

It’s easy to see why Trae Young continues to angle for a serious contract extension from the Hawks. He has posted at least 24 points and nine assists per game every season since his second year in the league. No one would argue that he isn’t one of the biggest drivers of offense in the league between his playmaking for himself and others, but it’s also the pure workload that it hard to truly contextualize with conventional stats.

It’s easy to forget how extremely involved in the offense Young continues to be. He made the second-most drives after Gilgeous-Alexander, received the most passes by a large margin (and was top three in passes made), created the most potential assists, and created the most points off assists during the 2024-25 season.

With that backdrop, there is one key piece of business that is now a major talking point around the league. Young has just one guaranteed season left on his contract worth around $46 million – with a player option for 2026-27 for almost $49 million that he’s unlikely to pick up as he seeks a longer-term deal.

De’Aaron Fox of the San Antonio Spurs — a player often compared to Young — recently agreed to a not so popular maximum value deal that should come in at around $229 million over four seasons. However, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, that kind of similar announcement for Young reportedly just isn’t in the cards:

This is an important and definitive direct quote from Brian Windhorst on his Hoop Collective podcast, the latest episode previewing the East:

"Another thing to watch with [the Hawks] is whether get Trae Young into an extension. They're not going to give him a max extension."

— Wes (@bloghawk) July 29, 2025

There seems to be some frustration mounting in regard to this situation. Young recently replied to Micah Parsons in a cross-sports negotiating solidarity moment, tweeting/xeeting:

This why you pay the man early, when someone will take less early to stay in a place he wanted to be forever, you do it… the price only goes up now!
Get what you deserve bro!

— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) August 1, 2025

Then, senior ESPN writer Marc J. Spears had this to say about the situation on a recent episode of NBA Today:

“Trae has done a lot to show that he’s invested in the Hawks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, (Luke) Kennard, he convinced them to sign with the Hawks. Instead of going to the Jordan (Brand event in Greece) this summer, he came to Summer League and he got to meet with (new senior VP of basketball operations) Bryson Graham. […] What I’m hearing now at this point – and you can tell by Trae’s tweet, and I saw him during the Finals – I think he’s disappointed that it hasn’t come, it hasn’t been offered. So don’t be surprised if he plays this out and sees what happens next summer.”

Despite this media consternation, I’m here to say, ‘take several deep breaths.’ There is little reason to be hung up on the contractual future of Young at this point in time. If it were late June 2026, I might be playing a different tune, but in an offseason of renewed good vibes, don’t spend your energy harshing those same vibes.

Here are five reasons why it’s way too early to have heartburn over the future of Young in Atlanta:

The Hawks and Young can work out an extension at any time during the season​

This situation is unlike the Dyson Daniels extension talks where, by virtue of him entering his fourth NBA season as a former first-round draftee, if the sides don’t reach an agreement by October, then talks have to be tabled until next offseason. In contrast, the Hawks and their star player can continue to have dialogue over his contract throughout the season.

Trae Young does hold a bit of leverage in terms of being able to pick up or decline his player option at any point, but I would imagine he wants to make basketball the central focus once the games get underway.

Trae Young is an ultimate professional​

While it would be ideal to resolve this matter as soon as possible, it’s not as if there is a risk of a holdout involving Young’s services to the team. He is still under contract for this season, and there’s no reason to think that he’ll bring any kind of theatrics to the locker room out of frustration.

Despite an official listing of Achilles tendinitis for the majority of last season, Young suited up for 76 regular season games plus the two Play-In Tournament games. He rarely has an issue with being available for the Hawks regardless of whatever firestorm is happening off the court or in the front office. Young will continue to bring his lunchpail to work and give Atlanta the production we’re accustomed to seeing.

The Hawks are right to see Young as less than a max player and hold their ground​

The team has made their stance obvious at this point: they don’t see him as a no-brainer full maximum salary player, especially once you consider that this deal would take him well into his 30s as an undersized guard.

Young’s shooting efficiency has yet to rebound to the heights he hit in his 2021-22 season when he triple slashed 46/38/90 (field goal percentage/three-point percentage/free throw percentage) – good for a 60% true shooting percentage, then seven percentage points greater than league average. In the three seasons since, he has yet to approach that superstar-level scoring punch – with a particular worry about his rapidly declining ability to score in the paint.

He’s a player you have to build a team around in a specific way around his ball-dominance on offense and him being an easy target on defense. And while this upcoming team may be the best Atlanta iteration of that particular build, maybe it would be an easier roster build to have a more malleable, if less dynamic, facsimile in his place.

Winning cures all, and this team is built to win now​

Even if this turns out to be an ‘audition’ season for the franchise to prove to Young that they’re building something exciting, you couldn’t have asked for a better offseason towards that end. A lot has been written about how exceptional the offseason has been.

Trae Young – just like the fans – has a right to be frustrated with the metaphorical car stuck in neutral for this organization over the past four seasons. If the Hawks can soon break through and push for contention, maybe Young can weigh maximizing his earnings differently versus being able to win in the only place he’s known home since being drafted.

There are ways to move on gracefully — should it get to that point​

This recently restructured front office, led by general manager Onsi Saleh, has already proven to move in shrewd manner. The brass has used mechanisms like the traded player exception (TPE) and the non-taxpayer midlevel exception (MLE) just this offseason to add talent to the roster, so should things turn south in this relationship, I have confidence that they’ll know how to pivot as best as possible. Instead of letting Trae Young walk in free agency with no return, one can imagine sign-and-trade scenarios can come into play, for example.

The core of the Hawks still has young talent aplenty, and that situation may entice an available offensive engine to come and run the show in the wake of Young leaving. It would be by no means an ideal result for this to be Young’s last season in a Hawks jersey, but there seems to be a clear succession plan around Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and others here. And who knows? Maybe that 2026 Pelicans-Bucks “superpick” brings in a replacement franchise pillar at just the right time.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/atla...ason-to-worry-about-trae-youngs-situation-yet

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

How Kristaps Porzingis brings Hawks versatility, diverse skill set

Size has turned into a vague buzzword among basketball parlances. Is the focus height? Length? How much space you take up? In reality, it’s a catchall for many attributes on the court.

In the past, bigger players dominated by using their high release and post moves to score inside over smaller post defenders. Defensively, length and vertical range helps defend by altering or all together deterring shots. In today’s game, bigger stretch bigs can use their advantages to shoot over smaller ones from range.

While small ball has been a more and more common tactic to stack as much skill and range as possible in the modern game, teams can still zag and counter with old school methods.

It’s not out of line to suggest the Hawks have too often struggled with finding sizeable players to insulate their start player, the 6-foot-1, 162-pound (per Basketball-Reference) Trae Young. The return of Jalen Johnson from injury should help, as well as the emergence of Mouhamed Gueye down the stretch of last season and the drafting of Asa Newell this summer. But the one player who helps the most in that regard is obvious.

Kristaps Porzingis took the league by storm after being drafted fourth overall in 2015 from a lesser-known Spanish professional club. His combination of 7-foot-2 height in shoes, 7-foot-6 wingspan (per Chad Ford), and fluidity soon earned him the moniker “The Unicorn.”

While he’s had a largely productive decade in the NBA, injuries have muted the promise of a revolutionary player archetype. The price to acquire Kristaps Porzingis this offseason was staggeringly low — once you factored in the motivation to get Terance Mann’s and Georges Niang’s money off the books — essentially just a first-round pick with a future second-round pick coming back from Boston for his expiring contact.

So, what does he bring to this team? Well, Onsi Saleh addressed that very question in a July public media appearance prior to Summer League, saying, “[Porzingis], just so unique in what he does. Every team looks for a center like that at some point. He’s dynamic. He can stretch the floor and rim protect.”

He later remarked, “I just think Kristaps’ archetype is so unique in this league. We’re very confident with our performance staff and very confident with him and his health. We don’t have any worries or issues there. I just think from a player standpoint, he is very, very dynamic and offers something that Atlanta really hasn’t seen before.”

Porzingis handles the ball less frequently than he did in his early days in New York and Dallas, at least as far as driving and initiating. His main focus is in spot up shooting and creating post up mismatches — something that’s largely a relic of the past.

You can see his unassisted (or in other words self-created) field goals made dip when teamed up with Luka Doncic and later in Boston with Jayson Tatum and company. His shot diet should be similar when playing with the mega creator Trae Young at point.

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Porzingis led the league this past season in post up scoring efficiency, registering 1.19 points per possession (PPP) in 149 possessions among players with at least 50 post up scoring attempts. He was even better in 2023-24 when he registered an eye-watering 1.30 PPP in 185 possessions out of post ups even with a possession cutoff of 25. The Celtics’ volume three-point shooting paired well with him to operating out of the post, and so it would behoove Atlanta to do their best to emulate the same spacing for him this season.

Outside of the end of last season, when Onyeka Okongwu claimed the starting center spot and continued to stretch the floor with his shooting, the last time Young played serious minutes with a reliable pick-and-pop threat was way back in 2019-20 with journeyman Dewayne Dedmon. The effect on the team’s overall spacing with ‘KP’ will be absolutely vital, especially in postseason situations when the Hawks’ offense has tended to crater post-2021 playoff run.

Year in and year out, Trae Young leads a fast-paced offense, and having a center who can hit trail threes in transition always adds another threat to the fastbreak arsenal:

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In the halfcourt game, Porzingis’ ability to seal mismatches in post ups and rise and fire is just something that virtually can’t be stopped:

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He has a variety of ways of creating more space in these situations, like pivoting to face up and use his long arms to subtle push defenders back:

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One he’s established how big a mismatch he in these situations, teams are almost obligated to send help his direction. But ‘KP’ has become a better and better post passer from double and triple teams over the years, often quickly finding open three-point shooters or cutters when the chances present themselves:

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Defensively, while Porzingis showed incredible range and agility in his 20s, he has slowed down a bit and will be best utilized as a traditional drop big near the basket. Incumbent Onyeka Okongwu has strong defensive instincts and a higher level of switch-ability than the majority of centers, but his frame does limit him in terms of rim protection and rim deterrence.

Porzingis is still an elite shot block artist on a per minute and per possession basis despite his availability issues. He’s averaged 3.0 blocks per 100 possessions and topped a 4.8% block rate (or blocks as a rate of two-point shots faced) the past two season. Both marks in both seasons would have placed him in the top 10 in the NBA had he qualified for having enough minutes.

As a pure drop big, he can shut off the path to the rim as the last line of defense with the upper echelon of rim protectors in the league:

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And here, you can see his still has the mobility to trail most bigs handling the ball from the top of the key:

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You can still blend in some hard hedging or momentary double teams to get the ball out of the hands or more dangerous ball handlers. And Porzingis’ mix of awareness and recovery speed can still help him close down space fast:

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A Young-led offense is still going to feature a large load of pick-and-rolls as well, but Quin Snyder has worked in a lot of off ball movement as well. Porzingis is still a threat to finish around the rim with his huge catch radius, but having a skilled stretch-big opens up absolutely everything else on the court.

Just imagine Dyson Daniels or Zaccharie Risacher making timely cuts into space without a teammate standing in the dunk spot. Or Young being able to turn the corner with the opposing center pulled away from the rim.

Add to that the ability to mix and match on defense with a host of 6-foot-8 or taller defenders who can switch and scramble to cover for the smaller players among them.

There’s no guarantee Porzingis will stay healthy enough to provide this impact night in and night out, but he is a player that can raise Atlanta’s ceiling on both ends when he’s on the court. There’s an argument that he does this the best out of any player that switched teams this offseason — an offseason that also saw Kevin Durant move to Houston.

Top 10 players that changed teams this offseason by DARKO DPM

data via @kmedved pic.twitter.com/5fXgRA4OkW

— Owen Phillips (@owenlhjphillips) August 5, 2025

While it’s unlikely that Porzingis has an All-Star worthy campaign like Durant is probable to have, this move could bring new wrinkles to Hawks basketball. And with the path in the Eastern Conference as open as ever, who knows what heights Porzingis and the Hawks can hit.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/anal...s-brings-the-hawks-game-diversity-versatility

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hawks announce MLK Day return, preseason slate

The Hawks had a very exciting offseason, and now the focus turns toward the 2025-26 NBA season.

Due to a conflict with the college football playoff championship being hosted the same day in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, last season the Hawks didn’t host a Martin Luther King Jr. day game for only the second time since 1989. The Hawks were rerouted to New York to take on the Knicks a year ago as they also did back in 2017.

Now, the NBA and the Hawks have announced a return to tradition with a day game against the Milwaukee Bucks this upcoming January:

We are back at home for MLK Day this season! pic.twitter.com/2w3GrRDSkl

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) August 12, 2025

In preseason news, the team has also announced a four-game exhibition schedule. This will presumably be the first time to see Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard, and other new Hawks in action on the basketball court.

The first game will be on October 6, and the final game will wrap 10 days later. The team will play the Houston Rockets twice, once at home and once on the road, sandwiching games against the Memphis Grizzlies (road) and the Miami Heat (home).

The full regular season slate will be released on Thursday, so get your own personal schedule in check so you can procure tickets to see your favorite team.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/latest-news/64664/hawks-announce-preseason-slate

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Checking in on Smeskoball

As the regular season winds down, it is worth taking the time to see how first-year head coach Karl Smesko has implemented his offensive philosophy with the Atlanta Dream. Smesko spent over two decades at Florida Gulf Coast University overseeing a team that emphasized three-point shooting and fast pace. How have Atlanta’s tendencies shifted under Smesko and with the addition of frontcourt stars Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones?

Prioritizing three-point shooting​

Under former head coach Tanisha Wright in 2024, Atlanta averaged just 19 three-point shots per game which put them ninth out of twelve teams. In 2025 under Smesko, Atlanta has averaged 28 three-point shots per game, second-most in the WNBA. This development is epitomized by Naz Hillmon’s transformation from shooting just six three-pointers over the course of her first three WNBA seasons to shooting over 115 three-pointers with thirteen games remaining in the season.

In addition to increasing their three-point shooting volume, Atlanta has the fifth-best three-point percentage in the league at 33.8% which is an improvement on the league’s second-lowest percentage in the 2024 season at 30.8%. Te-Hina Paopao has been an excellent addition to the team, shooting 44% from long range, which is the second-best mark in the league for players with at least 75 three-point attempts.

Falling behind in pace​

While Smesko has succeeded in increasing Atlanta’s three-point shooting, the team has struggled to maintain the fast pace that his college teams demonstrated. Atlanta ranks second-to-last in pace, ahead of only the expansion Golden State Valkyries. They finished the 2024 season in the same spot, just beating out the Connecticut Sun.

Part of Atlanta’s difficulty in playing fast could be a result of Smesko using a remarkably limited player pool throughout the season. Atlanta is the only WNBA team to use fewer than thirteen players this season with just ten players averaging at least double-digit minutes. Three of the Dream’s opening-day starters have missed at least five games (Jordin Canada, Brittney Griner, and Rhyne Howard) which has resulted in a heavy usage rate for All-Star Allisha Gray, who has played in all 31 games for the Dream with a league-leading 1,094 minutes played.

Improving shot efficiency​

In addition to three-point shooting and pace, Coach Smesko consistently talks in his pressers about the value of taking efficient shots. Florida Gulf Coast University was notorious for only taking three-pointers and points in the paint. Atlanta has the second-lowest percentage of points coming from mid-range two-pointers, at 5.2%. Only the Los Angeles Sparks have a lower percentage of points from mid-range shots; the Sparks are coached by another first-year head coach, Lynne Roberts, who also jumped from the college ranks at Utah to the WNBA this offseason.

Atlanta’s shot efficiency can also be assessed by looking at their overall field-goal percentage. While Atlanta’s 44% field-goal percentage has them sitting just outside the top five in league ranks, it is an improvement on their league-worst field-goal percentage in 2024 of 40.8% which was a full percentage point worse than the next-lowest team.

Overall state of the squad​

While not all of Smesko’s tendencies have fully translated to the WNBA, fans should be pleased with the Dream’s current place in the league standings: Atlanta entered Wednesday night’s game against Seattle in a tie with the reigning champion New York Liberty for second place in the WNBA, with a 20-11 record. Smesko’s players speak fondly of him and seem to have formed strong relationships with the coach, as seen in the way Smesko and Rhyne Howard describe their relationship:

Atlanta snuck into the playoffs as the league’s eight-seed in 2024 with a 15-25 record — they have already eclipsed that win total with more than ten games remaining in their schedule. Multiple sportsbooks had Atlanta listed with an over/under win total of 21.5 for the season. They should easily surpass that mark. Atlanta also has the easiest strength of schedule remaining in the entire WNBA, including three matchups in their final five games against the last-place Connecticut Sun.

Finishing in the top four places will guarantee the Dream home-court advantage in their first playoff series and a chance to win their first multi-game playoff series since 2013.

All statistics are from www.wnba.com unless otherwise noted.

How happy are you with Karl Smesko’s performance in his first year coaching the Atlanta Dream? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/wnba-content/64692/checking-in-on-smeskoball

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

82-game schedule at long last released

We already knew before this afternoon the dates of the NBA Cup games — such as the De’Andre Hunter homecoming on November 28 — and the opponent for the MLK Day game — which is back in State Farm Arena after a year’s absence.

Now, the entire 82-game schedule has been released, and the Atlanta Hawks will try to take advantage of national TV opportunities to showcase their up and coming team.

The team will open the season at home against the Toronto Raptors on October 22. The Hawks finish their season against the Miami Heat on April 12. Overall, they’ll have 13 nationally televised games as currently scheduled when you include streaming services like Peacock and Prime per the release.

The full schedule is below:

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Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/latest-news/64713/82-game-schedule-at-long-last-released

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Report: Hawks to add big man N’Faly Dante

The Atlanta Hawks added to their rebuilt big man core today in reportedly signing N’Faly Dante, who spent last season with the Houston Rockets after being undrafted in 2024.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype was the first to report the news:

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N’Faly Dante is a 6’11”, 230-pound Malian international big man who was a former five-star high school recruit before attending Oregon. He showed growth throughout his five-year college career there, averaging 17.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.7 steals per game in his super senior season.

Dante only saw action in four NBA games after going undrafted last season, but he was a productive G League player for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers as noted above. He’s largely a just rim runner and short range putback big man on offense, but his size, strength, and agility allow him to affect the game on the glass and on defense.

In signing Dante in restricted free agency to a two-year deal, the Hawks will retain restricted free agency rights to him in the summer of 2027 as he will have yet to accrue four years of NBA service by then.

In theory the Rockets could opt to match the contract within 48 hours and keep him in Houston. But as Keith Smith of Spotrac notes, they currently don’t have enough space under their first apron hard cap to do so — nor do I foresee them making an additional move to pave the way for someone who was just a two-way player last season.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/late...e-atlanta-latest-news-free-agency-signing-nba

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

2025-26 Atlanta Hawks schedule deep dive

It is that glorious time of the year again! I proclaim that as if the Atlanta Hawks’ season is tipping off tomorrow (it is not, sadly), but Thursday night marked one significant step towards 2025-26 season with the announcement of the Atlanta Hawks’ schedule of games in what everyone involved hopes is a long and successful season.

As has become a yearly tradition here at Peachtree Hoops, we’ll take a month-by-month deep dive into the Hawks’ schedule, examining fixtures of note, strength of projected schedule per month, how road/home-heavy any particular month is, and so on.

Let’s begin with the shortened month of October to begin the season:

Total games: 6

Home games: 2

Road games: 4

Back-to-backs: 1

Longest road trip: 3 games

Longest homestand: 1 games

Average projected opponent win total (based on Bet MGM win totals): 40 wins

The Hawks receive a generous opener to the NBA season: a home title against the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors haven’t exactly advanced themselves massively over the summer, and the Hawks would immediately be considered favorites to begin the season and have a great opportunity to begin the season at home with victory.

A difficult back-to-back awaits the Hawks, the first being a road game against the Orlando Magic (projected to win a whopping 51 games), and against the defending champion OKC Thunder at home. The Hawks had to wait until late February before their first game against the Magic last season — now they face their Southeast Division rival in game number two and an important game, too.

The Eastern Conference’s landscape has changed dramatically, not just through the playoffs but the summer too. The Celtics and Pacers suffered devastating injuries their star players, Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton respectively, and both teams are expected to take steps back this season. The Sixers’ situation remains precarious as always, but the outlook doesn’t seem positive there. The Cavaliers and Knicks all but certainly will be expected to lead the East, but behind them the teams who arguably pose threats to homecourt advantage seedings are likely to be (in addition to the Pistons) the Magic and the Hawks, if both are healthy of course. So, while this is an early game in the season it is an important one for two teams who could potentially measure against each other for playoff seeding.

After the Orlando game, the Hawks are faced with a daunting second game of a back-to-back against the Thunder. Irrespective of the result the previous night, State Farm Arena will be rocking to face the Thunder, and these two clubs have produced some great games over recent seasons. Beyond that, the Hawks will end the month on three-game road trip (part of a four-game trip overall), but all of the October games come against teams the Hawks have a realistic shot of beating with the final game against Indiana the first game of the NBA Cup.

On to November:

Total games: 15

Home games: 6

Road games: 9

Back-to-backs: 3

Longest road trip: 4 games

Longest homestand: 3 games (twice)

Average projected opponent win total (based on Bet MGM win totals): 36.5 wins

As always, the NBA reality of the 82-game marathon hits its first laps in November as the games come thick and fast. The Hawks will spend a lot of November on the road, including finishing their four-game trip to end October in Cleveland and a four-game, predominantly purple, Western Conference road trip, sandwiched by a three-game homestand — and first NBA Cup game at home, in addition to the ever-popular Lakers (an opportunity for even more purple in November). Unlike November Western Conference runs of the past for the Hawks, other than the Clippers (and who even know what injuries they’ll manage throughout the year), the Hawks should be favored in most of these affairs against Sacramento, Utah, and Phoenix.

Outside of a road trip against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs in San Antonio, the Hawks’ major contest for the rest of the month comes in an NBA Cup game at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Interestingly, the Hawks hosted the Cavaliers for an NBA Cup game on November 29th in 2024 — in 2025 it’ll be on the 28th. It also represents De’Andre Hunter’s first appearance back at State Farm Arena playing against the side that drafted him back in 2019 — no doubt there’ll be tributes on the night.

Sandwiched in the middle of the month will be a very interesting affair at home against the Detroit Pistons, who will be looking to build upon a great season last year, and are ballparked to win a similar number of games as the Hawks (the Pistons are projected to win 45 games compared to the Hawks’ 47 games).

To December, and it is worth noting that the 12-day gap between Washington and Charlotte will be filled with two games (dates to be confirmed) which will be announced at a later date by the NBA following the progression of the NBA Cup:

Total games: 14 (including the two games to be added)

Home games: 8 (to be confirmed)

Road games: 4 (to be confirmed)

Back-to-backs: 3

Longest road trip: 1 game

Longest homestand: 5 games

Average projected opponent win total (based on Bet MGM win totals): 42 wins (to be confirmed upon schedule additions)

The Hawks begin to make up for their, to this point, road-heavy schedule. Following a road game against the Hornets, the Hawks begin their longest homestand of the season of five games, two of which take place against the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls, like the Hawks, have been stuck in what seems like a perpetual play-in cycle, of course ending the Hawks’ season in the Play-In Tournament in 2024. Those two games would be a perfect opportunity to showcase how much the Hawks may potentially have elevated above the Bulls, who are projected to win 39 games this season. Such a record would likely result in qualification for the Play-In Tournament once again.

Vengeance of a different sort can also be claimed by the Hawks as they take on the Miami Heat for the first of four meetings, the first coming during the five-game homestand. However, this game is the first of a back-to-back in what could be a particularly brutal end to 2025. A home tilt against the Knicks is sure to be ablaze as one of the projected Eastern Conference elite enters Atlanta. The Hawks make a quick trip to Oklahoma City before welcoming the Minnesota Timberwolves, the first occasion Nickeil Alexander-Walker takes on his old squad, on December 31st — certainly not the easiest end to the year but representing a great test and measure of how the Hawks may have progressed since exiting in the play-in against the Heat.

…to 2026!

Total games: 16

Home games: 6

Road games: 10

Back-to-backs: 2

Longest road trip: 4 games

Longest homestand: 2 games (twice)

Average projected opponent win total (based on Bet MGM win totals): 41.5 wins

Not the easiest of beginnings to 2026; a stretch of seven road games in the first eight games, including a double-header in Toronto, and a four game Western Conference road-trip, including Denver, Golden State, and Los Angeles. Upon their return to State Farm Arena, the Celtics will host the Celtics in what will be Kristaps Porzingis’ first appearance against his old side — he will also be received by his former side towards the end of the month at TD Garden.

The Hawks will host on the 19th of January for MLK Day, meaning that the Hawks are hosting on the holiday as they should be. As for the Bucks themselves, the Hawks will have a vested interest in their season due to draft considerations following the trade back on draft night involving the Bucks and the Pelicans. However, with Giannis Antetokounmpo at the helm the Bucks always have a fighting chance.

The Hawks face a congested, difficult finish to the month, including a road game in Boston, followed by a matchup against the highly rated Rockets the following night at home. A road game against Indiana, the second fixture against the Pacers in six days, rounds out the month.

On to February:

Total games: 10

Home games: 6

Road games: 4

Back-to-backs: 1

Longest road trip: 2 games

Longest homestand: 4 games

Average projected opponent win total (based on Bet MGM win totals): 30 wins

The Hawks have been handed a relaxed schedule to both get to the All-Star break and to resume action after the break. Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s return to Minnesota highlights the most difficult game of the entire month as well as up to the break. Easily winnable games against Utah, and two games against the Hornets give the Hawks an opportunity to enter the break on winning notes.

Post break, outside of a road game in Philadelphia, the Hawks have a four game homestand to finish February (part of a five-game trip overall), including two home tilts against the Washington Wizards. Quite a Southeast-heavy month of February, and it’s certainly a great opportunity to rack up victories.

To March!

Total games: 15

Home games: 10

Road games: 5

Back-to-backs: 1

Longest road trip: 2 games (twice)

Longest homestand: 5 games

Average projected opponent win total (based on Bet MGM win totals): 41 wins

The Hawks enjoy a March that will see them at home more often than not, and at this business end of the season where seeding will undoubtedly be fought hard for it’ll be important for the Hawks to take care of business. Games against Eastern Conference opponents such as Orlando, Milwaukee, Boston, and Philadelphia will be especially important.

Home fixtures against Western Conference opponents such as Dallas and Golden State should draw fans, while tough road prospects in Houston and Detroit will bring intrigue — particularly Detroit. Overall, it’s a great opportunity for the Hawks to move up/consolidate seeding with such a home-happy schedule, you can’t ask for a lot more at this time of the year.

On to the final month:

Total games: 6

Home games: 2

Road games: 4

Back-to-backs: 0

Longest road trip: 2 games (twice)

Longest homestand: 1 game (twice)

Average projected opponent win total (based on Bet MGM win totals): 46 wins

The Hawks face tough road games in the month of April to finish the season: a road game in Orlando — which may be pivotal — and a road tie in Cleveland followed by another game against the Cavaliers. If the Cavs’ season is anything like last season, the Hawks can hope, perhaps, that the Cavs will be resting players at this time, but if not, those are two tough games so close to the finish line. Perhaps poetically, the regular season ends in Miami. Overall, for the season, quite road-heavy to begin, but if the Hawks can get to February in decent shape they are in prime position for really a positive February and March with the light schedule and home games.

The Atlanta Hawks now know their road ahead for the 2025-26 season, and the plans can now be hatched. As for whether the road ahead leads to greatness, only time will tell…

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/6474...-deep-dive-analysis-nba-latest-news-breakdown