Believe it or not, Hawks could be a top contender in East next season

Turn on the TV, and there are the ESPN analysts proclaiming that the Hawks have had one of the best offseasons of any team, after acquiring Kristaps Porzingis, trading down 10 spots and getting a 2026 first-round pick, selecting Georgia’s Asa Newell and agreeing to terms with versatile wing Nickeil Alexander-Walker and elite 3-point shooter Luke Kennard.

Social media is filled with longtime Hawks fans who are wondering what the heck is going on.

It’s called new management.

After years of walking on the treadmill of mediocrity, the Hawks seem to have the right GM in Saleh, and he’s making the right moves — almost as if he has a plan.

And he does.

I’ve seen a turnaround like this in Detroit during my time as the Pistons beat writer. After a front-office shake-up, there’s the question of whether the new regime knows what it’s doing. The first big moves are the ones that tend to sway that opinion, and the early read is that Saleh is more than competent — and he’s also opportunistic.

Before the draft, he saw that the Boston Celtics were looking to shed salary and made a smart deal to bring in Porzingis to solidify the Hawks’ frontcourt. Noting that the Pelicans were eager to move up in the draft, Saleh traded down and got Newell with the 23rd pick. Most notably, the Hawks got an unprotected first-round pick, which will be the more favorable of the Pelicans’ or Bucks’ selections.

Saleh said the Hawks were targeting a “bucket” of players in that range, and at that point in the draft, if the quality is about the same, why not make a deal and get a first-round pick next year? It’s a low-risk, high-upside proposition, and Newell could be an asset this year. Even if he isn’t, the rookie could get some playing time in the G League — and the pick alone is worth the trade.

Going further, the Hawks added a versatile playmaker in Alexander-Walker and added an elite 3-point shooter in Kennard, who will strengthen the second unit. Their top eight or nine players in the rotation are good, and they’ve improved their bench.

Making moves

Beyond adding to the Hawks’ quality depth, both Alexander-Walker and Kennard were players that franchise centerpiece Trae Young endorsed and recruited to come to Atlanta. One of the underlying storylines of this offseason is whether Young might be looking to exit at some point, seeking greener pastures with a contender.

The Hawks may be that contender.

While improving the roster, Saleh also has gotten some help — with Young’s buy-in — that at least allays some of the concerns about whether their All-Star guard can be happy here. Their revamped starting lineup, with Jalen Johnson’s return from injury, is solid: Young, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher and Porzingis (or possibly Onyeka Okongwu). A second unit that includes Alexander-Walker, Kennard and Kobe Bufkin will keep them in most games and can hold a lead or trim a deficit.

Given that, the Hawks are appreciably better than last season.

How much better? They’re likely a top-six team in the Eastern Conference. That would catapult them out of their annual trip to the Play-In Tournament and into the playoffs. Teams don’t always jump out of the NBA’s purgatory of middling franchises and into the postseason, but with the injury swoon in the East to the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, the Bucks’ Damian Lillard and the Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton, everything’s changed.

The Las Vegas odds at BetMGM have the Hawks ranked fourth (+850) to win the East, behind the Cavaliers, Knicks and Magic, and ahead of the 76ers, Celtics and Pistons. That’s a significant jump for a Hawks team that finished just under .500 last season.

Seeing is believing

It’s all very competent front-office management, with shrewd trades and wise drafting, but one of the biggest keys is righting the financial situation. Depending on how the deals are structured for the offseason trades, the Hawks could have a few more moves to make.

It’s all a good setup for the short term and beyond.

Young’s big contract is $46 million next season and a player option for $49 million in the last year. Assuming they agree to a long-term extension, the cap situation still would be manageable, with only one other big contract — Johnson’s $30 million per season — going beyond next year.

In short, they don’t have unwieldy contracts weighing them down, nor ones that they’d be itching to get out of. They have plenty of young talent, balanced with enough veterans to provide leadership.

Increases in the salary cap will offset some of that, but at least in the short term, the Hawks seem to be going for it, which is what you want from the front office. Standing pat and playing it slow don’t look to be the path forward, which is encouraging for a fan base that has craved relevance.

So far, so good for the Hawks and GM Saleh, believe it or not.