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Feb 23, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) shoots the ball over Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) and forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (8) during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Latest NBA Power Rankings Show Atlanta Is Among the Top Eastern Conference Contenders

Originally posted on Atlanta Hawks on SI
By Jackson Caudell | Last updated Aug 8, 2025 4:09 PM ET

The Atlanta Hawks are not usually the team that gets praise for their offseason prowess and decision making, but you would be hard-pressed to find someone who follows the NBA who does not like what the Hawks have done this offseason.

Things got started with the big three-team trade that landed the Hawks Kristaps Porzingis and they continued into the actual free agent period. Atlanta signed arguably the top free agent on the market when they inked former Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker to a four-year $62 million deal and then free agent sharpshooter Luke Kennard signed a one-year 11$ million deal.

The biggest move for the Hawks, though, was on draft night. After trading the No. 22 pick to the Nets in the Kristaps Porzingis trade, Atlanta was left with the No. 13 pick in the draft. The Hawks were able to move back from 13 to 23 in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans, and in return, the Hawks got an unprotected 2026 first-round pick that will be the most favorable of New Orleans or Milwaukee. There is a chance that the pick ends up being a top-five or higher selection. It was a stunning trade that left the NBA world speechless.

While the Pelicans/Bucks 2026 draft pick is not going to help the Hawks this season (unless Giannis Antetokounmpo demands a trade), the other players that the Hawks have acquired certainly will, and they help make up what should be one of the best rosters in the Eastern Conference and perhaps the NBA. In the latest batch of power rankings from Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey, the Hawks check in about where they should be:

13. Atlanta Hawks (40-42)

Previous Rank: 17

If there was a "we thought they would be better" award, the Atlanta Hawks would be in the hunt just about every year, so we have to approach this slide with a bit of caution.

They've made that difficult, though, by Kristaps Porziņģis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker to a team that already has Trae Young, Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels, as well as a possible developmental leap on the way for Zaccharie Risacher.

The ideal roster around Young would likely include loads of length, defense and shooting, and this one now has it. In an injury-weakened East, Atlanta should push for a top-six finish.

But ultimately, their success or failure may come down to the health of Johnson. For moments of last season, he looked poised to overtake Young as the team's best player, but a shoulder injury limited him to 36 appearances."

Was This Ranking Fair?

The Eastern Conference teams ahead of Atlanta included Cleveland (No. 5 overall), New York (No. 7), Orlando (No. 9), and the Pistons (No. 12). One could make the argument that at full strength, the Hawks should be above Orlando and Detroit, but it is not an unfair ranking. Atlanta has a lot to prove on the court this season to show they are deserving of this preseason praise, and Bailey is right that health might be the Hawks biggest obstacle.

Kristaps Porzingis and Jalen Johnson are two of the most talented players in the entire NBA, but they have a hard time staying on the court. Johnson missed most of the second half of the season with a shoulder injury, his second straight season where he struggled with injuries, and Porzingis has had injury trouble since he got in the league. If Atlanta can manage to get 60 game seasons from those two players, a top three-seed is not out of the question.

If Quin Snyder can maximize this roster, it has the potential to be a sneaky NBA Finals threat in the East. They have to prove it though and that has not been something this franchise has always excelled at.