Atlanta Hawks Promote, Extend Onsi Saleh After Successful 2025-26

The Atlanta Hawks' strong finish to the season has paid off for one front office executive who received an extension and promotion with the team on Wednesday.

The team announced Wednesday that general manager Onsi Salehh has been signed to an extension with the team and promoted to president of basketball operations.  

For more on the promotion and its impact on the Hawks, Hawks Roundtable writer Ashish Mathur has more details.

Under Saleh’s leadership, the team went 20-6 down the closing stretch of the season, bringing new optimism to the Hawks’ franchise. 

Saleh was in the sights of another organization, the Philadelphia 76ers, who are in search of their next president of basketball operations after moving in from Daryl Morey. The 76ers requested to interview Saleh, but their inquiry was declined by the Hawks. 

Instead, Saleh will remain in Atlanta for the foreseeable future, looking to lead the Hawks to a 2026-27 season that builds upon the strong finish the team had this season. 

The Hawks have secured at least 40 wins in five of the last six seasons and reached the playoffs in 2025-26, though they were eliminated in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. 

Saleh’s approach has worked well for Atlanta. Now, he’ll have full reign to continue to rebuild the team into a contender, in an attempt to achieve a deep postseason run again for the first time since reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020-21. 

This isn’t the first time that Saleh’s work has been recognized this season. He was named runner-up for the league’s Basketball Executive of the Year award, finishing with 41 total points. The award was won by Boston Celtics executive Brad Stevens.