The Atlanta Hawks' offseason is presumably done after the club signed N'Faly Dante to a two-year, $4.5 million deal. Dante was a two-way player for the Rockets last season in Houston, playing just four games in the big leagues but shining for their G-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
Dante is a 6'11 Malian center in his second season out of Oregon. Before Oregon, he was one of the best high school prospects in America, ranked 15th in his class by 247 Sports. This is particularly impressive considering that Dante reclassified a year up, presumably to reach the NBA quicker.
Just In: The Atlanta Hawks have agreed to a two-year, $4.5 million offer sheet with Houston Rockets two-way restricted free agent N'Faly Dante, league sources told @hoopshype. He averaged 15.1 points on 74.3% shooting, 9.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and 1.0 steals in the G League. pic.twitter.com/PIjcA0q7ip
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) August 16, 2025
However, Dante's NCAA career got off to a tragic start. He suffered two knee injuries early in his career, including an ACL tear, that limited the former 5-star to just 18 games over two seasons.
Dante bounced back, morphing into one of the best players in the nation. In his final season, he was fifth in the NCAA in Box Plus-Minus, averaging 17 points, 9 boards, 2 blocks, and 2 steals.
Dante is the perfect piece to complete Atlanta's rotation
Dante has all of the attributes you want out of your last offseason pickup. While he may not immediately be an impact player, he has potential, is a dominant athlete, and understands his role.
Dante couldn't crack the Rockets' rotation last year, which was expected given their dynamic center duo of Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams. What inspired Atlanta to pick up Dante was his G-League performance, averaging 15, 10, 2 blocks, and 1 steal over 42 games in just 27 minutes of action a night. He may not catch your eye when playing, but he does all of the little things a center must to make an impact. He hustles, is active off-ball, and makes excellent rotations in help defense.
When you watch Dante, the first thing you notice is just how massive he is. Standing 6'11, 260 pounds with a 7'6 wingspan, few players match the physicality he can bring to the game. While he isn't as technically polished as the Hawks other centers, he brings size that Atlanta critically needed.
While a center rotation of Kristaps Porzingis, Onyeka Okongwu, and Mouhamed Gueye looks solid on paper, the reality is that there are major weaknesses. Porzingis is too injury-prone to be counted on every game, Okongwu is undersized at the five, and Gueye has a slight frame for a center. This means there will be games where a dominant physical center will be able to wear these three down.
While Dante also has a concerning injury history, he has remained relatively healthy since tearing his ACL in 2020. He is also taller than Okongwu and 50 pounds heavier than Gueye. This means that, with NBA reps, Dante could be an excellent player to match up with the bruisers of the East: Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Dante adds much-needed physicality at the center position. Don't expect a major impact in game one, but Dante has a clear role on this team as a classic rim-running center. Whether he can supplant Gueye in the lineup or remains the fourth string, his name will be called upon.