Hawks’ GM Onsi Saleh adds three new players before draft

The Hawks have had a busy summer, and general manager Onsi Saleh knows it. The team made several moves over the past two weeks in its attempt to make the roster better.

Before the draft, the Hawks acquired center Kristaps Porzingis in a three-team deal. They also brought aboard Nickeil Alexander-Walker in a sign-and-trade agreement with the Timberwolves. They also agreed to terms with veteran sharpshooter Luke Kennard.

“Just super excited with that,” Saleh said during media availability Tuesday. “Really excited about our group and some of the additions we made. Still have been through some things in the NBA that need to get everything completed, but we’re really excited about the guys — KP, just unique in what he does.

“Every team looks for a center like that, at some point. He’s dynamic. He can stretch the floor, rim protect, just a good human being, good guy. That’s the roster and how we see this playing out with Nickeil, A-plus human being. Love the guy. He’s Canadian, so I’m biased. So, that’s the biggest reason we signed him.

“But no, he’s just a fantastic player. Everybody knows his defense, his shooting, the unbelievable human being, fits within what we’re trying to build here culturally. And I think he has a great opportunity to expand his game, too.”

The moves add versatility to the Hawks roster on offense and defense, allowing for them to run lineups that don’t lack size.

For the Hawks, the evaluation of potential free agents was a yearlong process with identifying and evaluating them for fit. The Hawks gathered information on Alexander-Walker on the court and beyond before determining him as a target.

On top of that, Alexander-Walker and Porzingis bring not only veteran experience but also familiarity with the postseason. Between the two players, they have a combined eight years of play in the playoffs. Of course, Porzingis played a key role in the NBA Finals for the Celtics, helping them to down the Mavericks in five games in 2024.

“He’s like one of the old guys on the team now,” Saleh said. “He’s not even that old, which tells you a lot about our group. They’re still really young. And like, the good thing about our young guys is they want to learn. They want to grow. They ... (are) sponges for this stuff, and Kristaps has stories from playoff series to finals. He’s going to be really important for our group and to translate that to our younger guys.”

Saleh could not comment on the agreement the team reached with Kennard since the two sides have not finalized the deal. But the Hawks still have two roster spots available, with 12 players’ deals finalized and Kennard’s contract still waiting to be signed.

So, the Hawks still have some flexibility ahead of them in finalizing the roster. The Hawks have Summer League in the coming weeks, which gives them a chance to evaluate some of the young players in their system. It also allows them time to continue negotiating with free agents still available.

“You don’t want to rush during this time, right?” Saleh said. “Like, if you could sign players now, and we have guys that we’re looking at, but at the same time, if you don’t want to be like, ‘Oh, what if we waited because the offseason goes on forever.’ So just evaluating and seeing if fits come along and we’re going to be really patient with it and not make any moves right away.”

Here’s a look at what the Hawks’ roster looks like.