It's difficult to fully assess whether or not the Hawks successfully defeated the roster crunch issue they've been facing for much of the summer. They won't get an official answer until the season gets going.
When aiming to meet roster limits, teams are often required to part with players they see real promise in. Regardless of positional value or untapped potential, if they're making significantly less money than the bulk of the roster for the upcoming season, they're an obvious cut/trade candidate.
Atlanta had two intriguing young point guards on their roster behind CJ McCollum and Kingston Flemings - Ryan Nembhard and Devin Carter. Now, both are gone, and it places much more pressure on the two still rostered to live up to major expectations.
An aging veteran and an inexperienced rookie - Atlanta should be slightly worried
Their uncertainty should be limited, however, as McCollum isn't showing any signs of slowing down, and Flemings projects to fit right in with the core upon arrival.
One of the biggest struggles Atlanta displayed during last season's playoff push was an undeniable inability to create in the halfcourt down the stretch. They hope Flemings can be that boost in the second unit, but they must prepare for him to experience some growing pains. He's 19 years old, after all.
While the two players they had on the roster before the inevitable crunch were also young, they had at least a year of real NBA action to be relied upon if Flemings were to ever struggle. Carter had two, developing into a serviceable rotation piece for the Sacramento Kings before landing in Atlanta.
Entering the season with just two point guards, on paper, is a real concern. The Hawks, however, have many guys they utilize at that position without giving them the official listing. Maybe they'll be alright.
Atlanta hopes their other ball-handlers can continue their growth
Despite his low outside shooting splits, which have seemingly tanked his perception around the league, Dyson Daniels had his best NBA season in 2025-26.
His playmaking ability reached a new level, all while his teammates took leaps of their own. Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu and Nickeil Alexander-Walker all embraced new facilitating opportunities.
Still, even with their improvements, Atlanta struggled to create in their first-round series. It's a risk to bank on their young guns to take yet another playmaking leap, but it proves to the belief they have in their squad.
Hopefully, losing out on both Ryan Nembhard and Devin Carter won't come back to bite them.
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