The Atlanta Hawks are starting a new era. Trae Young is on his way out, and the returning players in the package aren’t going to become the face of the franchise.
What’s next for the Hawks? NBA Insider Chris Mannix suggests that the Hawks still have work to do on the roster construction front.
Via @SIChrisMannix: Expect Atlanta to stay active after the Trae Young deal. Hawks now possess two $30-plus million expiring contracts in Porzingis and McCollum.
Expect Atlanta to stay active after the Trae Young deal. Hawks now possess two $30-plus million expiring contracts in Porzingis and McCollum.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) January 8, 2026
The NBA trade deadline is still a month away. There is plenty of time for the Hawks to continue wheeling and dealing until they feel like they are ready to truly contend in the Eastern Conference this season.
It’s been a strange season for Atlanta, who landed a ton of praise for their offseason moves in 2025. Despite losing their now-former star guard, Trae Young, for a chunk of time throughout the start of the season, the Hawks looked like they could be a serious threat in the East.
Young returned, and the fit looked off. That’s when the trade saga really got hot. However, the Hawks are still inconsistent with or without Young. They are 18-21, placed ninth in the Eastern Conference.
The expectation is that the Hawks will consider a potential deal for Anthony Davis. The veteran big man out in Dallas has been linked to the Hawks for some time now.
A report suggested that the Dallas Mavericks would like a young and promising player, along with expiring deals. As Mannix suggested, the Hawks have a few of the latter.
Outside of the two-way Caleb Houstan, the Hawks have Keaton Wallace ($2.2 million), Luke Kennard ($11.0 million), Kristaps Porzingis ($30.7 million), and now McCollum ($30.6 million) set to expire at the end of the year. Davis is making $54.1 million for the 2025-2026 NBA season.
The Hawks don’t have to be zeroed in on Davis, but he seems to be the logical trade target for them right now. While Davis is a potential game-changer when healthy, his injury concerns, age, and desire for a new deal raise some reasonable level of worry.
Atlanta’s front office has time to figure it out, but they seem to be willing to keep the trade calls going until the February deadline puts a cap on it.