The Atlanta Hawks may still be on course for a reunion with former general manager Danny Ferry, although the original links to the president of basketball operations role have gone in a different direction.
Ferry served as the Hawks’ GM from 2012 through 2014, stepping down after an investigation revealed he relayed racist language found in a scouting report on former NBA player Luol Deng.
More than a decade later, Ferry could return to the Hawks in a different capacity.
“One scenario making the rounds that Atlanta is said to be considering: Re-hiring Danny Ferry as a senior adviser to newly promoted GM Onsi Saleh,” The Stein Line’s Marc Stein wrote on May 31, noting the outside search has been relatively quiet recently.
“The highest-profile candidates Atlanta is known to have spoken to thus far in pursuit of a new head of basketball operations: Toronto's Masai Ujiri and Antetokounmpo's agent Alex Saratsis.”
Hiring any of those three candidates would have tremendous roster implications.
Hawks' paths lead to roster uncertainty
Ferry’s tenure saw the Hawks go 44-38 and then 38-44, and he has not held an official role in an NBA front office since. His potential return would entail significant roster decisions, including on four-time All-Star Trae Young and 2024-25 Most Improved Player Dyson Daniels.
Ujiri’s potential arrival could see the Hawks pivot away from Trae Young in search of a more defensively oriented team.
Saratsis’ connection to Giannis Antetokounmpo (his client) sparks even more speculation.
The Hawks are going on their third top decision maker since Young entered the league in 2018, and already on their third head coach in Quin Snyder. There are no signs that Snyder’s job is in any danger, but he is 76-88 in two full seasons at the helm.
The Hawks did make a four-win improvement over 2023-24 in 2024-25. They also missed the postseason for the second straight season.
A new lead executive would also want to make their mark on the franchise.
Perhaps that is why the Hawks have pulled back their aggression in their search to hire a president of basketball operations. The group showed signs of promise when healthy, which may ultimately prove to be the greatest improvement they could make this offseason.
The Hawks had four players make at least 60 appearances in 2024, and three players cross that threshold in starts. Keeping players on the floor will always involve some luck.
The Hawks must find a way to improve whatever they can as much as they can in prevention.
That will do far more good than most roster moves and, almost certainly, more than making another coaching change. Some decisions will be unavoidable as the team looks to improve, and addressing the lack of player availability needs to be one of them.