3 Burning Questions For Hawks Heading Into 2025-26 Season

Like last season, Johnson should be expected to ease Young’s burden as a scorer and playmaker. This alone makes Atlanta more dynamic, as they’re not as reliant on one player’s guard skills. Bringing in Porzingis to replace Clint Capela gives them a more effective scorer and rim-protector. The difference between he and Capela’s more traditional skillet also makes the Hawks’ offense more versatile. Due to a five-inch height advantage, he’s even more of a mismatch weapon than Onyeka Okongwu.

In fact, because of Porzingis’s ability to draw bigs out of the paint, Johnson should be more effective. A determined downhill scorer, 23.6 percent of his field goal attempts came in transition, and he converted 66.7 percent of those attempts. He drove to the rim 8.7 times per game, the third-highest mark on the team, making 46.6 percent of those attempts.

Meanwhile, the defense will be buoyed by Daniels, Vit Krejci, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher. Not to be forgotten are forward-centers Mouhamed Gueye and 2025 No. 23 pick Asa Newell, who can make their presence felt at that end as well.

Is Kobe Bufkin Ready?

For the past two seasons, 2023 No. 15 pick Kobe Bufkin has been touted as a tantalizing combo guard. In that time, he’s played just 27 games due to myriad injuries. Yet, Bufkin’s clock can’t keep running forever. The unrealistic nature of a player who hasn’t done much receiving infinite chances aside, keep in mind that the final season of his rookie scale contract (2026-27) has a team option.

Ultimately, this could be Bufkin’s last or penultimate season with the Hawks. That being said, his showing in this year’s Las Vegas Summer League exhibitions may not have answered the biggest question surrounding him. Is he ready for a rotation role?

Production-wise, he was excellent. Across four games, he averaged 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.0 steal in 26.5 minutes per contest. Still, he was highly inefficient, shooting 35.5 percent from the field and 25.9 percent from 3. Given the level of competition players face in Summer League, that didn’t inspire a lot of confidence. That’s particularly the case for a player who has shot just 37.4 percent from the field and 22.0 percent from 3 in his NBA career.

At this point, the 21-year-old has shown off intriguing offensive tools. He’s an ambidextrous passer and scorer. He’s an instinctive shot-creator. Though naturally quick, he’s aware of how shifting his pace helps him get to the rim. However, he’s sharper at the defensive end. Indeed, his technique, determination and willingness to sacrifice his body are all but beyond reproach.

All in all, he certainly has the potential to play regular minutes and make a consistently positive impact next season. If he can, that wouldn’t just give them more fireworks, it could help Young play fewer minutes. With that in mind, the Hawks franchise cornerstone was diagnosed with right Achilles tendinits in 2024-25.