Why the Hawks Patient Approach In Free Agency Is Setting Them Up for Big Moves In The Future
Why the Hawks Patient Approach In Free Agency Is Setting Them Up for Big Moves In The Future
The Hawks have been slow rolling so far in free agency, but they could be setting up for bigger things to come later this season or in 2027Jackson Caudell|
In this story:
Atlanta HawksThe Atlanta Hawks were one of the stories of the NBA after the All-Star Break. Atlanta finished the year 20-6, rising to 6th place in the Eastern Conference, and becoming the only team to beat the New York Knicks multiple times in a playoff series. They are one of the youngest teams in the NBA, and President of Basketball Operations Onsi Saleh and the Hawks have been preaching patience instead of trying to accelerate the building of this team:
"Like we said before, no skipping steps. We want to grow this thing out organically. I just feel like we're going to add two really good players tomorrow in the draft. And we have a lot of opportunities to move forward with this group.
We don't want to be that team that skips steps, and we want to be sustainable. It's everything I've been saying. You guys are probably sick of me saying that, but that's just the truth. We really like where we're at as a team, where we're going, and really young still. We're about to get younger. But we're really excited about this draft class and the opportunities that are before us. And yeah, can't really say too much else."
To their credit, Atlanta has stuck to that approach, at least so far.
Saleh has previously talked about how the version of the team that played so well at the end of the year barely got a change to play together, but Atlanta is going to see if there is something there or if they just got lightning in a bottle against a fairly easy schedule.
The patient approach has seen the Hawks:
- Re-sign CJ McCollum to a one-year, $21 million deal
- Trade two second-round picks for Aaron Wiggins
- Draft Kingston Flemings, Zuby Ejiofor, and Henri Veesaar
- Pick up the $2.4 million team option for Mouhamed Gueye
- Guarantee Buddy Hield's $9,658,536 contract for this season
- Acquire Devin Carter and a future second-round pick from Sacramento
- Re-sign Jock Landale to a one-year, $14 million deal
Atlanta did decline Jonathan Kuminga's $24.3 million team option, but there is still a chance that he is brought back, though the Hawks would need to make some roster space for that to happen. Landale, McCollum, and Hield are coming back it appears. Atlanta is not only hoping that the chemistry those three players built last season with the core of the Hawks roster is there, but that the rookies, Carter, and Wiggins can give them more legitimate depth and help round out their team.
While one could argue that this approach might not be a smart move with so many teams in the Eastern Conference appearing to get better, I think that Atlanta is potentially setting up for something bigger down the road.
Will their patience be rewarded?
The Hawks have been linked to star players this offseason, namely Jaylen Brown, but moves like that go against what Saleh and Atlanta's front office have been preaching.
It is fair to point out that teams in the Eastern Conference around Atlanta have either gotten better or will be good without major moves.
- The Knicks are bringing their core back together and are the defending champs
- Boston still has Jayson Tatum and might keep Brown
- Toronto just replaced Brandon Ingram with Kawhi Leonard
- Indiana is going to get Tyrese Haliburton back, as well as Ivica Zubac
- Miami acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Cleveland, Detroit, Orlando, and Philadelphia will still have pathways to being formidable with some improvements.
That does not mean that Atlanta won't finish as a top-six team in the Eastern Conference and the Hawks might not be done making moves (they are currently at 16 players on their roster, not including two-ways), but it is not going to be easy.
But when you look at the Hawks, the might be biding their time to make bigger moves when the time is right.
The common theme for the Hawks this offseason has been one-year deals. McCollum is on an expiring contract, as is Jock Landale, both combining for $36 million. Zaccharie Risacher and Devin Carter have team options for 2027-2028 that have to be decided on by October 31st, and if Atlanta declines both of them, those two players would turn into expiring contracts. Asa Newell also has a team option for next season, but it would be pretty shocking to see the Hawks decline that before he heads into his second season.
Buddy Hield has a player option for a little over $10 million next season as well.
Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Onyeka Okongwu, Corey Kispert, Kingston Flemings, and Zuby Ejiofor are the only guaranteed contracts for next season right now.
So Atlanta could have two options ahead of them: They could decline those team options on Risacher and Carter, giving them six valuable expiring contracts that add up to over $60 million. If a star player were to become available at the trade deadline or in-season, Atlanta could be primed to make a play for them with the expiring money they can throw out there, plus their draft capital they still have.
If not that, Atlanta could let the contracts of McCollum, Landale, Risacher, Carter, and Mouhamed Gueye expire and the Hawks could have significant cap space next summer. Now, most NBA fans realize by this point that marquee players don't enter free agency much anymore, but cap space can be used in a number of ways, either to make plays for restricted free agents or to make trades.
Saleh preaches optionality and being opportunistic and the Hawks could be playing the long-game here. They have a chance to see the internal development players like Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Onyeka Okongwu make next season, as well as the rookies and new acquisitions make this season and then see what they need to change, if anything.
Atlanta has been patient and relatively quite this offseason, but they are still set up to take a chance and make a big move during the season or have loads of space next offseason and that should not go unnoticed.
Published 59 minutes ago
JACKSON CAUDELLJackson Caudell has been a publisher at the On SI network for four years and has extensive knowledge covering college athletics and the NBA. Jackson is also the co-host of the Bleav in Georgia Tech podcast, and he loves to bring thoughtful analysis and comprehensive coverage to everything that he does. Find him on X @jacksoncaudell
Follow jacksoncaudellHome/News
Sydney Sweeney Struts in Micro Shorts in New 4th of July American Eagle Campaign After Controversy
Sydney Sweeney is back and better than ever in a new American Eagle ad.
Sweeney, 28, stunned in an all-denim look while posing on the beach for a 4th of July campaign, which launched on Wednesday, July 1. The Euphoria star rocked a denim Bow-Front Vest, which retails for $54.95, featuring adjustable halter straps, a plunging neckline and straps that tie in the front.
Sweeney paired the look with low-rise Micro Shorts ($49.95), which were complete with a dark wash and distressed finish.
For glam, the Anyone But You star stunned with dewy skin, sun-kissed cheeks, long lashes and lined, pink lips. Her blonde bob was parted down the middle and styled in beachy waves.
In one pic, the It Girl closed her eyes and beamed for the camera while sitting in the sand. She also looked over her shoulder in another pic, with her hands in the back pockets of her cheeky bottoms.
Sweeney also looked her best in a promotional video. In the clip, she danced on the beach while lighting sparklers. “Syd for Short,” a message across the screen read.
This isn’t the first time Sweeney has posed for American Eagle. In July 2025, she went under fire for modeling a denim jacket and pants with the double entendre, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.”
The statement quickly sparked debate about race and beauty standards for the double play on “genes.”
Thank You!
You have successfully subscribed.
Deal of the Day
Stop Scrolling! This 46%-Off Floral Bikini Looks Like a Resort Boutique Find View Deal
Related: Sydney Sweeney Stuns in 2nd American Eagle Campaign Following Controversy
Sydney Sweeney has teamed up with American Eagle again for a sexy summer campaign following her previously controversial ad with the company. Sweeney, 28, posed for the brand’s “Syd for Short: American Eagle Jean Shorts” ad, which launched on Wednesday, April 15. In the campaign, the Euphoria actress looked her best in a pair of […]American Eagle responded to the backlash in August 2025, writing via Instagram, “‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
At the time, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that “Sydney thinks this whole thing has been blown out of proportion.”
The insider added, “She’s focusing her energy on work, including being back on set with her Euphoria family.” (The Euphoria season 3 finale aired on May 31.)
Just For You
In this article
Sydney Sweeney
Trump's Annual Earnings Skyrocketed to $2.2 Billion in 2025 ... for Some Reason
July 1, 2026
Making money is hard. Just ask Donald Trump. Back in 2022, House Democrats released years of the then-former and now-current president’s tax returns, which showed that Trump the entrepreneur was significantly less successful than The Art of the Deal would have you believe. They painted a picture of a floundering businessman who was doing his best to dodge taxes and scrape together income, something Trump mastered throughout his long career.
But now, it appears that Trump has finally found an industry that works: open corruption, crypto scams, and nepotistic crony capitalism that siphons off wealth, rakes in gifts, and feeds them into his personal coffers. He just needed to become president of the United States.
Trump revealed in financial disclosures this week that he has made $2.2 billion in 2025, up from $622 million in 2024, the year before he returned to the White House. The astronomical sum includes a diverse portfolio of investments and businesses, but is mostly comprised of one brazen cryptocurrency scam: World Liberty Financial, a crypto company that offers the $TRUMP memecoin. Trump made a staggering $1.4 billion on crypto last year, fueled both by getting his supporters to buy into $TRUMP and a massive private deal in which a UAE-linked investment firm paid almost $500 million for a 49 percent stake in World Liberty Financial.
But let’s break down what that means in simple terms. One: Trump sells a memecoin to his followers, using his personal social media channels to boost it. This is basically the same scam Trump has been running for years. If you’ve been on his mailing lists since 2016, you’ve been inundated with ads for physical Trump coins, digital trading cards, and all sorts of commemorative and allegedly collectible memorabilia. Crypto is essentially the same grift, with the added flavor that Trump can pass it off as an “investment” opportunity, something that may pay dividends for the everyday Americans who are duped into buying it. Trump has also taken a host of actions benefiting the crypto industry — and thus, his and his family’s finances — since retaking office, while touting the industry publicly.
Editor’s picks
The 250 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century So Far
The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
100 Best Movies of the 21st Century
Trump claims that he isn’t “involved” in the running of these businesses, which is about as flimsy of an excuse as you can get. “We have funds that run that money,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
Q: Your financial disclosure shows you had a very lucrative year last year. What message does this send to average Americans?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 1, 2026
TRUMP: Well, you know, I don't get involved. We have funds that run my money
Q: But you are benefitting. We're talking billions of dollars
TRUMP: Well… pic.twitter.com/y0CVPXc4NB
In reality, Trump and his family are the only ones getting rich. But it’s the other half of that windfall that’s even more concerning. While garden-variety crypto-grift is bad, the dark money investment in a Trump-owned company by a firm that is linked to the government of the UAE suggests that foreign influence could be playing a large role in the growth of Trump’s personal fortune. In other words, he’s basically getting a payout from the government of another nation.
This isn’t the first time Trump has engaged in open corruption with members of a foreign nation. His comments about his financial disclosure on Wednesday came on the tarmac in front of his new private plane, also known as Air Force One, which was paid for and gifted to him by the Qatari government, and retrofitted with hundreds of millions of taxpayer money.
“You want a Pulitzer Prize? A picture of the plane.” Trump joked.
Trending Stories
Chris Brown Must Pay Housekeeper $13 Million Over Dog-Mauling Attack
Ariana Grande Reschedules Three ‘Eternal Sunshine’ Tour Dates: ‘Safety, First and Foremost’
Sara Bareilles: ‘I’m Terrified, but I’m Not Hiding’
Susan Tedeschi Says Bob Weir Loved to Offer Her Mushrooms
Trump took his first flight on the Qatari-gifted jet shortly after. “Frankly, we couldn’t build a plane like this because we wouldn’t be willing to spend the kind of money necessary,” Trump said. “They spent top dollars.”
The plane is valued at roughly $400 million. The government will not retain ownership of the plan after Trump leaves office. It will instead be gifted to his presidential library.
