5 Hawks Players Fighting for Bigger Roles in 2026-27

The Atlanta Hawks will be one of the deepest teams in the NBA in 2026-27, and these five players will fight for bigger roles on the squad.

It won't be an easy fight. The Hawks' depth will be one obstacle. It's also typically harder to earn a large role on a team that's firmly in win-now mode. Potential will be less important to Atlanta than pure win-now impact.

But that won't stop these five guys from trying to expand their roles.

Realistically, Dennis has spent his whole NBA career to date fighting for a larger role.

We're talking about an undrafted point guard who's on his third team in two NBA seasons. Dennis is talented. He's a quick point guard with exceptional court awareness and solid ball-handling.

Unfortunately, he stands just 6-foot-1 in a league that's been moving away from small point guards.

But he'll do his best in 2026-27 to prove he should be an exception to that rule.

By contrast, Kispert was selected just outside of the 2021 NBA Lottery at 15th overall.

He was supposed to be a shooting specialist. He's done OK on that front, but his 38.0% career 3-point shooting does not reflect how wildly inconsistent Kispert has been.

Otherwise, he doesn't offer much. He's a subpar defender who doesn't handle the ball. If Kispert can generate elite 3-point gravity this year, he can establish himself in Atlanta's rotation.

If he can't, don't expect to see him on the floor very often.

Gueye's numbers don't leap off the page, but his impact goes beyond them. He's one of the most versatile defenders on the roster, able to guard big men, wings, and even some guards.

That's highly valuable, but in 2026-27, an offensive liability will only get so far. Gueye can't create his own shot, so he'll have to improve on his 30.8% 3-point shooting from 2025-26 to increase his role with the Hawks.

Otherwise, this next player is likely to be nipping at his heels.

As a 6-foot-10 combo big, Newell offers a similar skill set to Gueye. He's not the same caliber of defender, but he is solid on that end, and his 38.7% 3-point shooting from last season gives him a tremendous edge on Gueye.

Newell's rotational spot is his to lose, but increasing his role could be difficult. He's not a traditional enough 5 to usurp Onyeka Okongwu from his starting spot, and Jalen Johnson is a non-starter. There's no room for Newell to start in Atlanta.

Still, if he can play the 5 well enough, he could earn significant minutes off the bench. The Hawks' offense needs to be potent when they run those lineups. If it is, fans could see more of Newell this year.

As a rookie, Flemings isn't fighting for a bigger role than he had last season. He's fighting for a bigger role than people are expecting him to have.

It's likely to come down to his ability to score. Flemings is likely to be a good defender as a rookie. He's already a smart passer, but if he can't put some kind of pressure on defenses as a half-court scorer, he'll struggle to see 25 minutes per game.

No matter how much potential he has.