After picking up Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard in free agency, the Atlanta Hawks made excellent use of their limited cap space by reportedly signing Caleb Houstan to a one-year deal.
Houstan was a perfect fit to fulfill the role of 9th man for this team. Houstan is a true three-point specialist, shooting 84% of his field goal attempts from beyond the arc and converting 40% last season. With his shooting ability, decision-making, and effort, Houstan has the potential to flourish as a bench piece for the Hawks.
However, 30 days later, the deal has still not been finalized. What is taking so long, and why has this happened twice this offseason?
After Michael Scotto reported the signing on July 17th, no update has been given from the team or Houstan. While deals are often announced before their official signing, the process of finalizing the contract never lasts a month.
JUST IN: The Atlanta Hawks and Caleb Houstan agreed to a one-year deal, sources told @hoopshype. The 22-year-old shot 50.7% from 3-point range after the All-Star break and has improved his 3-point shooting in each of his first 3 NBA seasons. Agent Jason Glushon finalized the deal pic.twitter.com/LHRtPEMaTO
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 17, 2025
Houstan, we might have a problem
The three-point specialist is a dying breed in the NBA, as a league-wide mentality shift has resulted in front offices valuing versatility over specialization as a whole. Gone are the days of the stretch four whose only strengths were shooting and their positional size. Even the Kyle Korver role of movement shooting two-guard has been phased out of the league.
Yet Atlanta has defied conventional wisdom, adding two three-point specialists this offseason: Kennard and Houstan. Kennard is one of the best shooters in the league, averaging over 45% on threes over the past five seasons. He's not just a spot-up threat either, scoring hyper-efficiently off dribble handoffs (1.46 points per possession!), ball screens, and off-ball movement.
Houstan resembles a young version of a classic stretch four, shooting threes and swinging the rock. While Houstan has played small forward thus far, his size and strength make him a likely candidate to move to the four as he progresses into his NBA career. Houstan isn't the quickest moving laterally, but his length, strength, IQ, and hustle allow him to be a solid defender.
These two archetypes were just what the Hawks needed to perfect this team, and Houstan and Kennard are great players in these roles. Yet, the Houstan deal still hasn't been signed, and we don't know why. Scotto is one of the most reliable reporters in the league, and the tweet announcing the news gives credit to the agent, which can indicate that the agent leaked the news. So, what happened to the deal?
There is a chance the Hawks are waiting to fill their last roster spot before signing Houstan. Minimum contracts can be signed regardless of cap space, so perhaps Atlanta is waiting to fill their final roster spot before signing Houstan to a minimum. This doesn't seem likely, however, as the Hawks are already $28 million over the salary cap. If they wanted to add a player via trade, they would have the identical financial restrictions regardless of whether Houstan's contract status.
While the deal falling through wouldn't be the end of the world, it could hamstring the Hawks' playoff hopes. Houstan projects to be the 9th-10th man on the roster, which is just below the traditional 8-man playoff rotation teams employ in the biggest of games. Yet, injuries in key moments can force these late-rotation players to step up. Having Houstan as an option in case Asa Newell and Mouhamed Gueye aren't ready for serious playoff minutes would be a massive win.