The Atlanta Hawks are entering the first full season of the post-Trae Young era with heightened expectations. After dealing their star point guard away last season, they've also moved on from 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher and brought in role players Aaron Wiggins, Ryan Nembhard and Luguentz Dort to strengthen their depth. CJ Mc Collum, the hero of their two first-round playoff wins against the eventual champion New York Knicks, is back as well, with Kingston Flemings, the No. 8 pick in the 2026 draft, backing him up.

Offseason at a glance: Key additions include Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Kingston Flemings, Devin Carter, Ryan Nembhard, Zuby Ejiofor, and Henri Veesaar. Key retentions are CJ Mc Collum and Jock Landale. Key subtractions include Zaccharie Risacher, Jonathan Kuminga, Gabe Vincent, and Keaton Wallace.

Atlanta continued to move forward from the Trae Young trade by being opportunistic. They acquired Dort and Wiggins in separate trades from the Oklahoma City Thunder to add help around emerging star Jalen Johnson. They kept Mc Collum on a one-year, $21 million deal and drafted Flemings eighth overall. The Hawks are loaded with young wings looking to step forward under Quin Snyder, similar to Nickeil Alexander-Walker's Most Improved Player season last year.

Zach Kram's offseason grade: A-. The Hawks might not have added a single starter, but they made dramatic upgrades to their bench to raise their floor. The big question: Can Johnson take the next step and win a playoff series? He averaged 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists last season, made the All-Star team, and helped Atlanta take two games off the Knicks, but they blew a 2-1 lead, including a 140-89 loss in Game 6.