The Atlanta Hawks could be really good next season.
The Atlanta Hawks have been predicted to have a strong record next season after their productive offseason by NBA analyst Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report.
Bailey thinks the Hawks will go 45-37 next season.
"There's a pretty strong urge to go even higher with the Atlanta Hawks, who added Luguentz Dort and Aaron Wiggins to a roster that was already rich on defensive length and versatility," Bailey wrote. "Even without a high-end traditional point guard, the defensive identity and the playmaking of wings and forwards like Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels should make this team dynamic on both ends of the floor. If incoming rookie Kingston Flemings is able to make real contributions during this first season, this prediction has the potential to age poorly."
The Hawks had a busy offseason. They signed CJ McCollum to an extension, re-signed Jock Landale, acquired Devin Carter from the Sacramento Kings, Aaron Wiggins and Lu Dort from the Oklahoma City Thunder and Ryan Nembhard from the Dallas Mavericks, declined Jonathan Kuminga's team option and drafted Kingston Flemings, Zuby Ejiofor and Henri Veesaar in the 2026 draft.
Atlanta's core moving forward is Dort, Wiggins, McCollum, Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Onyeka Okongwu.
On paper, that looks really good.
I don’t compare ourselves to others," McCollum told HoopsHype about the Hawks' future. "Right now, it’s about focusing on getting better individually and collectively. We can’t control how other teams look. You can control your approach to the game. Teams will get better and evolve.
"For us, it’s about focusing on improving our intangibles, understanding our schemes, and what Quin wants from us. Then, building on the momentum and experience that we had playing in the playoffs in a big environment on the road and in our home games. We played against a team that won the NBA Finals. All those things help you as you go into a new season."
Johnson is the new franchise player in Atlanta in the post-Trae Young era. It will be fascinating to see if the Hawks win a championship with Johnson leading the way.
A talented two-way swingman, Johnson had a terrific 2025-26 season. He averaged 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game and recorded 49 double-doubles and 13 triple-doubles in 72 games.
Atlanta lost to the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2026 playoffs, but remember, the Hawks were the only team to beat the Knicks twice in the postseason.
That shows how good the Hawks will be moving forward.
Atlanta is expected to start McCollum, Alexander-Walker, Daniels, Johnson and Okongwu next season. The Hawks haven't won a playoff series since 2021. Let's see if that changes in 2027.
