The Atlanta Hawks have unexpectedly formed a championship-caliber team this offseason, adding Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard without losing any key players. The Hawks now have one critical weakness to address this offseason for their new roster to reach its full potential: finding a backup point guard worthy of playoff minutes.
The ever-elusive backup point guard has been Atlanta's Achilles heel this decade. The Hawks have yet to find a backup point guard in the Trae Young era that can survive in the playoffs, and the Hawks struggle mightily when Young rests on the bench as a result.
Despite the impressive offseason the Hawks have pieced together, the backup point guard role remains a glaring weakness with Kobe Bufkin as Young's only backup. Bufkin is an intriguing prospect, particularly on the defensive end, but has not shown he is capable of running an NBA offense in his 27-game career.
The Hawks must take advantage of the barren East next season
The 2025-26 Hawks will have the best offensive supporting cast around Young in his NBA career. Jalen Johnson has developed into an ideal secondary scoring threat, posting averages of 17.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game with elite 2-point efficiency. Zaccharie Risacher and Dyson Daniels have shown incredible upside as off-ball offensive threats. The Hawks filled their other offensive gaps by acquiring Porzingis and Kennard this offseason.
Despite this offensive progress, Atlanta's backup point guard situation remains a glaring weakness that could cause major problems for the Hawks if left unaddressed. Bufkin has not proven he is capable of being a regular season point guard and certainly has not proven he is playoff-ready.
While the concept of betting on your young talent is appealing, the Hawks have a one-season window to capitalize on the Eastern Conference’s tragic injury luck. The Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and Indiana Pacers all lost a supermax level player to injury, and all three teams appear to be regrouping next season.
This leaves the Hawks, Knicks, and Cavaliers as the only healthy teams with championship dreams in the East. The Hawks have a young core that should only improve with time, but their competition will improve dramatically after next season. Atlanta cannot afford to bet on Bufkin’s playoff readiness and risk the opportunity to win the East in what may be the weakest Eastern Conference we’ll see this decade.
Chris Paul is the perfect backup to complete the Hawks' Infinity Gauntlet
It's no coincidence that in 2021, the most successful offseason during the Young era, the Hawks had a competent offensive initiator in Lou Williams. Williams, in his 15th season, was not the same player that won three Sixth Man of the Year awards. Despite being well beyond his prime, Williams had nearly a decade of experience leading bench units. With Williams the Hawks survived in the non-Trae minutes and led an upset so great the 76ers that Philadelphia pulled the plug on The Process era.
Because the Hawks have Bufkin, the ideal bridge point guard would be willing to sign a cheap short-term deal. This player would also be a proven offensive initiator that can run pick and roll while limiting turnovers.
Luckily for the Hawks, Chris Paul is a free agent. Paul, age 40, had a remarkable season for the Spurs last season. Paul started all 82 games for San Antonio, leading the Spurs to a better record than expected given the injuries and lack offensive talent around him. Paul would be the perfect Young backup for the Hawks. In the twilight of his career, Paul reportedly wants to end his career by adding a ring to his trophy cabinet. The Hawks have a role available for Paul to truly compete with this team.
After whiffing on D'Angelo Russell, Paul is the best player available to fill this gap. The Hawks could entertain trade options, but a trade would require moving valuable rotation pieces or draft capital. Signing Paul would require neither and give the Hawks their final piece to launch a run at the 2026 Larry O'Brien trophy.