3 Free Agents the Hawks Could Target With Major 2027 Cap Space

The Atlanta Hawks can have significant cap space if they want next summer. If they do, there's no shortage of intriguing free agents they could target.

Who knows? They might not want that space. Guard CJ McCollum ($21 million), wing Luguentz Dort ($17.2 million), and big man Jock Landale ($14 million) are all set to expire, but the Hawks could decide that they need to keep all three.

We can assume they'll want to keep Dort. The Hawks traded for the 27-year-old defensive specialist this summer. They could move him in a sign-and-trade, but they're not going to let him walk.

Otherwise, anything could happen. At 34, McCollum could decline this year. Landale is a solid backup, but that $14 million price point is high on a long-term basis. So, the Hawks could have lots of cap space.

Here are three players they could use it on.

A look at the Hawks' current depth chart reveals a rotational hole. This team is lacking a viable backup 4. Why not target perhaps the best defensive player of his generation?

Granted, Green has lost a step. He's no longer the best defender in the NBA, but even a compromised Green is an above-average defender. If nothing else, his floor awareness and championship experience would be an asset.

If there's a reason to hesitate here, it's Green's age. He's 36. If he's shown enough decline in 2026-27, the Hawks should pass. That said, if he's still a starting-caliber player, he'd be a perfect addition to this roster.

If there's been a consistent knock on Green, it's his below-average three-point shooting. Putting him on the floor with either Jalen Johnson or Dyson Daniels could cramp the Hawks' floor spacing.

That's never been a problem for Nuggets wing Cameron Johnson. He hit 43.0% of his 4.3 three-point attempts per game last year. He's always been one of the best shooters in the NBA.

Moreover, he's a competent defender. If Johnson has another strong year, he could price himself out of Atlanta's range. True 3-and-D wings always have a hot market. Still, if they can afford him, he'd be a perfect addition.

Let's pivot. Assume McCollum finally shows signs of wear and tear in 2026-27. The Hawks could be looking to replace him. Why not scoring guard Zach LaVine?

By now, LaVine's reputation has taken a hit. He's a hyper-efficient scorer, but he doesn't offer much else on the floor.

That's only a problem when he's making $43 million a season. Once this deal expires, LaVine will hit the open market. If the Hawks could get him at half of that average annual value (AAV) or less, he could be a bargain. For all his flaws, this is still a player who averaged 19.2 points per game with a 61.4 true shooting percentage (TS%) in 2025-26.

That should be enough to intrigue this organization.