Hawks reloading in suddenly wide-open Eastern Conference

The Hawks agreed with Nickeil Alexander-Walker on a four-year deal Monday as part of a sign-and-trade, the next stage in a dramatic reshaping of the Hawks roster that started with the Hunter trade.

Last week, Atlanta sent the No. 22 pick along with Georges Niang, acquired in the Hunter deal, to get center Kristaps Porzingis. Then they traded down from pick No. 13 to No. 23 to draft athletic forward Asa Newell and pick up a first-round pick in 2026. They let Clint Capela go in free agency, along with Caris LeVert (obtained in the Hunter trade), which gave them the chance to add Alexander-Walker, for which they'll likely use their trade exception from last year's Dejounte Murray deal.

Now they've got a younger, faster and more athletic roster around All-Star point guard Trae Young. They've got some excellent defensive players, including Alexander-Walker, steals leader and Most Improved Player Dyson Daniels and forward Jalen Johnson. Both Porzingis and Onyeka Okongwu can play power forward or center, while last year's No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher gives them another tall, long-armed wing.

With Porzingis, Alexander-Walker and now Luke Kennard, the Hawks have added a ton of shooting.

Now they've got a deep and versatile roster where Young is the oldest rotation player at the ripe old age of 26. They got some lottery luck last year to get Risacher, but the Hawks are doing an admirable job of remaking their entire team without ever being truly bad.