There's nothing final about the way the Atlanta Hawks' roster is currently set up.
Currently at 17 rostered players, they'll need to get down to 15 before the season can begin, one way or another. Could Corey Kispert - the young sharpshooter acquired by Atlanta as part of the controversial Trae Young-Washington trade - be one of the two inevitable roster-cuts? Sure.
But with the contract he's on, and limited trade market around the league because of it, they need to prepare for him to be on the roster come October. That doesn't mean they'll need to carve out a spot in the nightly rotation for him, because more likely than not, there won't be room.
Hawks now have quality wing depth - something they lacked last season
When Kispert landed in Atlanta in January, he was very quickly met with consistent minutes.
For the most part, his skillset brought exactly what the team lacked. They didn't have nearly enough depth at the wing, and regardless of some of his limitations - particularly on the defensive end - he brought quality positional size and reliable shooting. He was expected to, at least.
That issue, that ended up hurting the Hawks once more in the postseason, couldn't be solved by Kispert. Upon arriving to his new ball club, his shooting splits took a dip.
Head Coach Quin Snyder would insert him when they needed a spark, or simply just another body out there to knock down a three during an offensive drought, but he was just unable to be relied on in the minutes he got.
Entering the summer, it was clear where the Hawks needed to improve, and they made it a huge focal point in their offseason activity.
The Oklahoma City Thunder set the standard, and after a humiliating conclusion to a promising season, the Hawks decided to replicate it.
Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins are now the leaders of the second unit
Two wings who played a major role in Oklahoma CIty's championship run in 2025, Dort and Wiggins are expected to finally give Atlanta what they've been lacking.
They won't just be getting a major offensive boost from them, they'll receive spectacular effort on the opposite end.
They were both some of their former team's most impactful defenders, and there's no reason to believe they can't carry that same weight in Atlanta.
While Corey Kispert certainly won't get the nod over either of them to begin the season, having him as an emergency wing if one of the two were to get hurt would be a pretty solid idea.
Maybe they should hold onto him, after all.
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