School’s out: Hawks grades for the season

After looking like a team destined for a fifth consecutive appearance in the NBA Play-In tournament, the Hawks dramatically turned things around.

Despite trading their then-franchise star in February, the Hawks finished the season with a 20-6 record over their final 26 games.

Here are the grades for the Hawks this season.

Starters

CJ McCollum (Stats: 18.7 points, 3.1 rpg, 4.1 assists, 35.7% 3FG in 41 games) Age 34. 2025-26 Salary: $30.7 million.

The veteran guard injected poise and scoring onto the floor, helping to shuttle the Hawks through some of their offensive droughts. The team bumped McCollum into the starting lineup, looking to capitalize on one of their most productive units.

Though not always perfect, McCollum would be the first to admit where he’d like to make improvements. Grade: B+

Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Stats: 20.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.7 assists, 39.9% 3FG in 78 games) Age 27. 2025-26 Salary: $15.2 million.

The 27-year-old guard became a key contributor for the Hawks on both sides of the ball. His increased scoring (+11.4 points per game) gave the Hawks some key lifts throughout the season.

He also became a major voice in the locker room, helping to build the team’s stronger culture of accountability. Grade: B+

Dyson Daniels (Stats: 11.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 5.9 apg, 51.7% FG in 76 games) Age 23. 2025-26 2025-26 Salary: $7.7 million.

Daniels’ defensive production returned to its elite level, especially with the Hawks finding the right on-court chemistry. He also continued to be one of the team’s best offensive rebounders. The 23-year-old adjusted to his role as one of the Hawks’ primary ballhandlers.

His 3-point shooting took a step back, but the Hawks guard found a rhythm after working with a shooting coach in the latter half the season. Grade: B

Jalen Johnson (Stats: 22.5 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 7.9 apg, 35.2% 3FG in 72 games) Age 24. 2025-26 Salary: $30 million.

Johnson leaned into his expanded role, helping to shape the identity of the Hawks. He helped them develop into a team that plays with pace and can thrive in transition, especially off its stops.

Plus, the 24-year-old’s growing confidence from deep helped him become a threat, forcing defenses to adjust.

Though Johnson tried to stay committed to his defensive effort, he sometimes got lost off the ball. Grade: B+

Onyeka Okongwu (Stats: 15.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 3.1 apg, 37.6% 3FG in 74 games) Age 25. 2025-26 Salary: $15 million.

Okongwu’s continued development from 3 made him one of the Hawks’ most reliable shooters. The Hawks have sometimes drawn up plays for him after timeouts, and the team can find him for a shot at the top of the key after a stop.

The Hawks have deployed Okongwu on a variety of matchups, thanks to his versatility as a defender. Grade: B+

Reserves

Gabe Vincent (Stats: 3.9 ppg, 1.6 apg in 24 games) Age 29. 2025-26 Salary: $11.5 million.

The veteran guard gave the Hawks a solid presence off the bench. Though his shot didn’t fall as much as the Hawks needed it to, Vincent’s presence as an aggressive defender helped the Hawks become one of the top defensive teams in the NBA after the All-Star break. Grade: B

Jonathan Kuminga (Stats: 11.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 35.8% 3FG in 16 games) Age 23. 2025-26 Salary: $23.8 million.

Kuminga made a splash in his first three games with the Hawks. But he had his ups and downs, with residual soreness from his knee contusion hampering him after. He often gave the Hawks a spark off the bench, but his inconsistent scoring could sometimes temper their runs. His defense remained a steady presence for the Hawks this season. Grade: B

Jock Landale (Stats: 9.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 39.1% 3FG in 23 games) Age 30. 2025-26 Salary: $2.3 million.

Before an injury during a Hawks win over the Magic in April, Landale gave the Hawks some quality minutes off the bench. With his ability to space the floor and his size in the frontcourt proved a boon. But even as he helped to organize the Hawks defensively, the team could use even more from him on the glass. Grade: B

Zaccharie Risacher (Stats: 9.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 36.8% 3FG in 67 games) Age 21. 2025-26 Salary: $13.2 million.

The second-year forward could never find a rhythm between injuries and eventually inconsistent minutes. The Hawks eventually moved Risacher to the second unit in favor of McCollum’s veteran experience.

Plus, Risacher had to figure out his ever-evolving role in the Hawks’ post-Trae Young era. The 21-year-old has not had the easiest time creating his own shots and will have to continue working on his handle. Grade: B-

Mouhamed Gueye (Stats: 4.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 45.2% FG in 77 games) Age 23. 2025-26 Salary: $2.2 million.

Gueye continued to be one of the Hawks’ top defenders this season. He has helped the Hawks, allowing 2.8 points fewer in the half-court when he’s on the floor versus off, according to Cleaning the Glass.

His offensive impact increased as the season progressed, with the Hawks adding 1.7 more points per 100 possessions when he is on the floor.

But the Hawks would need even more of an offensive presence from him, especially as they continue looking to stretch the floor. Grade: B-

Corey Kispert (Stats: 9.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 35.4% 3FG in 39 games) Age 26. 2025-26 Salary: $13.9 million.

The Hawks forward has shuffled in and out of the lineup but has often provided them with energy and hustle when called upon.

He has given the Hawks some strong shooting nights. But on nights when his shot didn’t fall, the Hawks needed his defense. But the Hawks needed a little more defense than Kispert could provide. Grade: B

Asa Newell (5.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 45.3% 3FG in 44 games) Age 20. 2025-26 Salary: $3.2 million.

The Hawks had a lot of depth among their big men, especially after the trade deadline. The Hawks had Okongwu and Landale available, and with Kuminga in the mix, Newell mostly fell out of the rotation.

When he played, he continued to inject energy off the bench, but he spent most of the second half the season developing in the G League with the Skyhawks. Grade: B+

Keaton Wallace (Stats: 3.5 ppg, 1.1 apg, 37.3% 3FG in 53 games) Age 26. 2025-26 Salary: $2.3 million.

Wallace gave the Hawks a solid presence and has flashed as a defender when he played consistently in the team’s rotation. But that dwindled as the season progressed. Grade: Incomplete

Buddy Hield (Stats: 5.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 41.2% 3FG in 7 games) Age 33. 2025-26 Salary: $9.2 million.

Hield played limited minutes with the Hawks after the trade deadline. But he made a splash in the team’s final game of the season, where he scored 31 points on 7-of-11 shooting from 3.

The veteran, though, proved a strong voice in the locker room. He often picked up his teammates and provided some much-needed levity. Grade: Incomplete

Tony Bradley (Stats: 3.7 ppg, 3 rpg in 3 games) Age 28. 2025-26 Salary: $92,379.

The center played just three regular-season games with the Hawks. He gave the Hawks some solid minutes in the postseason. Grade: Incomplete

Two-way contracts

Christian Koloko (Stats: 3.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg in 14 games) Age 25.

The Hawks center’s early tenure with the team sparked some promise that they had found a solid rim protector. But after playing in seven games, including two starts, after the Hawks signed him in February, Koloko’s minutes dropped significantly. Grade: Incomplete

RayJ Dennis (Stats: 3.3 ppg, 2.3 apg in 3 games) Age 24.

The Hawks signed Dennis in February after waiving a former two-way forward. Dennis spent much of the season with the Skyhawks, but he played in the regular-season finale and flashed some playmaking potential. Grade: Incomplete

Keshon Gilbert (Stats: 11 ppg, 9 apg in 1 game) Age 22.

The Hawks signed Gilbert in March, and he has played all his minutes with the Skyhawks since then. But Gilbert played a key role in helping the Skyhawks turn their season around. Gilbert played in the Hawks’ regular-season finale and his scoring and playmaking flashed. Grade: Incomplete

Coaching

The Hawks had several iterations of the team before it solidified at the NBA trade deadline in February. But the Hawks seemed to weather the storm with coach Quin Snyder getting buy-in from his roster.

Their run after the All-Star break emboldened the players and showed their commitment to the team’s identity. It earned them a spot in the top six and a shot at a playoff run.

That buy-in helped the Hawks gain a 2-1 lead in the first three games of the playoffs. But Snyder couldn’t quite inspire enough to help them navigate the last three games of the series, including a 50-point blowout in Game 6. Grade: B

Front office

The Hawks’ front office made it clear from the start that they wanted to position the team to compete for multiple years to come.

They cleaned up the books, moved on from players and their contracts, and made the tough choice to shift the franchise in a different direction by trading away Young.

They picked up valuable draft capital that could add high-level talent in a future cornerstone piece. They brought aboard Alexander-Walker and McCollum, who became major contributors.