Onsi Saleh’s Trade Maneuvers Put Hawks In Dynasty Position

COMPARED to Trae Young, who now headlines a Washington Wizards team that features Anthony Davis, Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson is not as openly confident about his ability to lead a team. Regardless, his numbers speak for themselves.

Onsi Saleh’s Trade Maneuvers Put Hawks In Dynasty Position

Johnson’s one of three players averaging at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists per game, the other two being Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, both of whom are multi-time NBA MVPs. This season, he has more games with 15+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ assists than anyone else (h/t StatMuse on X). He leads Atlanta in points (23.2), rebounds (10.5) and assists (8.0) per game. He’s also the first player in Hawks history with 10 triple-doubles, notable for a franchise that’s had players like Young, four-time All-Star Paul Millsap, five-time All-Star Al Horford, nine-time All-Star Dominique Wilkins and 11-time All-Star Bob Pettit.

Already a 6-foot-8 plus athlete, Johnson’s been consistently developing his guard skills and scoring ability since entering the league. That’s the culmination of the work he’s put in so far. The fact that he’s only 24 is incredible. With that being said, if he ends up plateauing, he’s already a cornerstone player. If he continues getting better, the sky is the proverbial limit for he and a potentially dynastic Hawks team.

It’s A Marathon, Not A Sprint

Saleh’s moves shimmer like the stars in Orion’s Belt. Of course, the trade that sent Young to the Wizards is his most noteworthy transaction. However, that move came after he signed Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kristaps Porzingis last summer.

Alexander-Walker, typically thought of as a 3-and-D wing, has played more of an on-ball role than past seasons. In 2025-26, he’s averaging career-highs of 20.3 points and 3.5 assists per game. Porzingis got off to a good start with the Hawks too, appearing to shake off the illness that fatigued him in 2024-25. Yet, not only did symptoms of the mystery malady return, he was routinely injured. As a result, he’s only played 17 games this season, an impetus behind Atlanta’s stalled or failed pursuit of Davis.

With that being said, Porzingis’s signing isn’t important because he worked out for the Hawks. It’s because his expiring $30.7 million contract allowed Atlanta to complete a blockbuster trade with the Golden State Warriors. Swooping in out of nowhere, the Hawks have acquired Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield.

Balancing Act: The Hawks Have It All

Kuminga is the main attraction of the trade and not just because of his publicized falling out with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. At 23 years old, the former seventh overall pick is still relatively raw in terms of guard skills and decision-making. Yet, he’s had sustained moments of excellence, providing evidence of his star upside. This would make him a polarizing player no matter what the circumstances were. However, playing for the NBA’s most recent dynasty team put his lack of polish under the microscope.

Still, just because he was developing too slow for Kerr’s liking doesn’t mean he has to be the Hawks’ redheaded stepchild. He’s likely to come off the bench in Atlanta simply because 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher accepts the 3-and-D role he’s asked to play. To that point, Risacher complements Johnson better, on paper. Nonetheless, a featured role in the second unit should allow Kuminga to play to his strengths.

A physically gifted and scoring-minded forward, Kuminga has an attacking mentality. With his athleticism and highlight plays, he’ll infuse the game with energy. Facing off against reserves, he can wreak havoc against lesser defenders. Him coming off the bench also has an intrinsic benefit for Atlanta. When Johnson is off the court, the Hawks no longer have to worry about if a frontcourt player not named Onyeka Okongwu can get buckets. That’s been a major issue for them all season, and one reason they’re 1-4 when Johnson hasn’t played.

Hield, 15th all-time in career 3s (2,194), can’t be dismissed though. The 33-year-old joins Luke Kennard and Corey Kispert as the team’s 3-point specialists. He hadn’t been his usual self with the Warriors. Nevertheless, he’s Atlanta’s only player with more 3-pointers than McCollum (2,113).

Atlanta Hawks Projected Depth Chart

As of today, the Hawks’ current depth chart looks like this:

PG: Dyson Daniels, CJ McCollum, Keaton Wallace, RayJ Dennis*

SG: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard, Buddy Hield

SF: Zaccharie Risacher, Jonathan Kuminga, Nikola Djurisic, Caleb Houstan*

PF: Jalen Johnson, Corey Kispert, Mo Gueye

C: Onyeka Okongwu, Jock Landale, Duop Reath, N’Faly Dante, Christian Koloko*

*- Player on two-way contract

Having decided to build around Johnson, Atlanta now boasts one of the more balanced teams in the NBA.

Mixing, Matching & Mo Gueye

Dyson Daniels put himself on the map as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate last season. Since the New Year, he’s averaging 11.3 points, 7.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 51.2% from the field. Though he’s not the type of scorer or shooter modern-day point guards tend to be, that’s okay. The first player behind him on the depth chart is CJ McCollum, a veteran averaging 19.5 points per game on 39.6% shooting from 3 for his career.

With Alexander-Walker starting alongside Daniels, their first unit has one of the staunchest backcourt defenses. However, with Kennard and Hield, they now have more defensive liabilities than plus-defenders. That’s what makes the perimeter defense of their frontcourt stick out, as it would be best to stick Kennard and Hield on the opponent’s weakest scorer.

Keeping that in mind, none of Atlanta’s starting frontcourt players have trouble guarding out in space. Looking at their second unit, Kuminga and Kispert make players work for their points but they have flaws. In terms of off-ball awareness, Kuminga can be slow on the uptake. If matched up against a crafty shot-creator, Kispert can be peeled off. That’s what makes it likely that Mo Gueye, a dynamic defender, will still receive playing time.

The Hawks Have At Least One More Move To Make

Atlanta now has 16 players on standard contracts, which is one too many. However, this is easily correctable. Logically, the most feasible solution is to waive or trade one of two players:

Duop Reath, whom the Hawks acquired in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, is on an expiring minimum-salary contract. He’s also out for the season after undergoing surgery to address a stress fracture in his right foot. If they can’t re-route him to another team, he’s the most likely candidate to be waived by the Hawks when the smoke clears.

N’Faly Dante, who was signed last summer, is another potential cut. Dante is also out for the remainder of 2025-26, sidelined with a torn ACL since last December. He’s owed $4.5 million through next season but his age (24) and upside as a rotation-caliber big man could make him a viable target.

After acquiring 6-foot-11 center Jock Landale as part of a three-team trade with the Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz, Reath and Dante are only more expendable.