Only an hour into free agency, the Atlanta Hawks have become early contenders for winners of the offseason with a pair of savvy free agent signings, acquiring Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard. The Hawks signed Kennard to a 1-year, $11 million deal, adding much needed shooting to Atlanta's second unit.
Kennard is one of the league's premier shooting threats, shooting a ridiculous 45.4% on 3's over the last 5 seasons. What makes Kennard's shooting truly remarkable is his shot diet of moving and contested threes. Kennard projects to come off the bench in a dangerous second unit including Alexander-Walker and either Kristaps Porzingis or Onyeka Okongwu.
With the additions of Kennard, Alexander-Walker, and Porzingis, the Hawks have quietly become favorites to win the East next season. Three Eastern Conference giants have fallen due to injury this postseason, leaving the East wide open for a new dynasty to emerge.
The new bench unit positions the Hawks to follow Indiana's footsteps
With the change in playstyle and contract rules over the last decade, the NBA has shifted from a star-dominant landscape to a league that promotes well-rounded teams. Both NBA Finals contenders this year had deep rotations full of youth and athleticism. Their depth and energy enabled them to survive difficult playoff matchups when older, star-studded teams ran out of steam.
The updated model for building a contender requires one elite offensive talent, one All-Defense caliber player, and 6-8 supporting players with no glaring weaknesses. After trading De'Andre Hunter and a gloomy end to the 2024-25 season, the Hawks have miraculously built a contending roster in this model seemingly out of thin air.
The Hawks starting core of Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, and Onyeka Okongwu is a lethal two-way lineup that fans can expect to be among the best in the league. Johnson and Daniels both had breakout seasons last year, with Johnson developing as a shot creator and Daniels emerging as a future DPOY candidate and winning Most Improved Player.
With their three offseason additions, the Hawks have transformed an average bench unit into the most dangerous bench in the league. Porzingis is a matchup nightmare for teams with weak backup centers and a stretch five that'll fully weaponize Young's one-of-a-kind blend of scoring and playmaking. Alexander-Walker is an elite bench defensive threat who generates deflections and chaos like no other.
Kennard adds a key element to the bench unit: a lethal shooter capable of drilling movement threes. Kennard's off-ball shooting can be used in screening actions with Young and high post looks for Porzingis, creating a unique synergy between Kennard and the offensive core. The Hawks sorely lacked off-ball shooting depth after Hunter's departure, but Kennard has solved that problem.
The Hawks' brilliant start to the offseason has positioned Atlanta to make a playoff push that would have seemed outlandish just two months ago. Porzingis, Alexander-Walker, and now Kennard are major upgrades over the Hawks bench last season, granting Atlanta an intriguing blend of talent and versatility that could lead the team to the top of the Eastern Conference.