The Atlanta Hawks climbed to No. 9 in ESPN's NBA Future Power Rankings after finishing 12th in the previous edition.
ESPN ranked the Atlanta Hawks ninth in its latest NBA Future Power Rankings, a 30-team projection of on-court success across the 2026-27, 2027-28, and 2028-29 seasons. Atlanta placed 12th in the previous edition and carried a final rating of 61.
The Hawks open the season Oct. 21 at the Orlando Magic, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. ET at Kia Center and forward Jalen Johnson as the face of the franchise.
ESPN's Bobby Marks credited Atlanta for balancing finances, noting no player will earn over $30 million in the next three seasons.
The projected starting lineup of Johnson, guard CJ McCollum, guard Dyson Daniels, guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and center Onyeka Okongwu was the second-best in the league last season, outscoring opponents by about 19 points per 100 possessions, according to ESPN's Dean Oliver.
Zach Kram wrote that the Hawks still need to find a top-ten player to contend for a title, or need Johnson to make another leap, after Atlanta whiffed on Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick in 2024.
Last Season and the Cap Sheet
Atlanta finished 46-36, won the Southeast Division, and secured the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference after losing a tiebreaker to Toronto. The Knicks eliminated the Hawks in six games in the first round. Atlanta led the series 2-1 and was the only team to beat the Knicks twice in the 2026 postseason.
Johnson averaged 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists in 72 games and made his first All-Star team. He recorded 49 double-doubles and 13 triple-doubles. Atlanta led the NBA with a franchise-record 30.1 assists per game.
McCollum, forward Luguentz Dort, and center Jock Landale are on expiring contracts, which would leave Atlanta with significant cap space next summer.
The Hawks acquired McCollum and wing Corey Kispert from the Washington Wizards on Jan. 9 in the trade that sent Trae Young to Washington, first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania. McCollum averaged 18.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in the regular season after the trade.
Atlanta re-signed Landale in the summer, brought in Dort and guard Aaron Wiggins from the Oklahoma City Thunder, added guard Devin Carter from the Sacramento Kings, and guard Ryan Nembhard from the Dallas Mavericks. The team traded Risacher to Dallas and declined Jonathan Kuminga's team option.
Rookies and Coaching Staff
The Hawks drafted guard Kingston Flemings eighth overall in June, took forward Zuby Ejiofor at No. 23, and traded up from No. 57 to No. 52 for center Henri Veesaar.
Flemings played two Vegas Summer League games, averaging 7.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in 24.3 minutes at 33% shooting.
Ejiofor averaged 13.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists across four games in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. He shot 36.4% from the field and 35.3% from 3-point range.
On Sept. 16, Atlanta announced three additions to Hawks coach Quin Snyder's coaching and development staff. Jason Love was hired as an assistant coach, Ettore Messina as a coaching consultant, and Sergi Oliva as a basketball strategy and development advisor.
Love spent the past two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach and player development coach, and five seasons before that with the Philadelphia 76ers. Messina won four EuroLeague championships, two with Virtus Bologna in 1998 and 2001 and two with CSKA Moscow in 2006 and 2008. Snyder worked as one of his assistants in Moscow. Oliva spent the past four seasons as assistant general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers and coached their G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix, in 2024-25. He was an assistant under Snyder with the Utah Jazz from 2020 to 2022.
Atlanta's home opener is scheduled for Oct. 24 against the Houston Rockets. The Hawks will play at Washington on Nov. 4 and host the Wizards on Nov. 6 in an Emirates NBA Cup group stage game.
