Takeaways from General Manager Onsi Saleh's First Press Conference

The Atlanta Hawks recently hired general manager Onsi Saleh, and today he spoke with the Atlanta media about the upcoming NBA Draft and the team's direction this offseason.

Even though the season didn't end how everyone wanted, Saleh still has a positive outlook on the Hawks future. Saleh has worked in the front office of two first-class organizations with the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs, and he spoke about how those experiences will help him with this one in Atlanta.

Here are some takeaways from Saleh's introductory press conference with the Atlanta Hawks media today.

How does he intend to draft and will the team move up?

The Atlanta Hawks hold both the 13th and 22nd picks and have been reported to have already had some prospects come in and work out with the team. The conversation has been that the Hawks are looking to fill in some depth at the center position as they will be moving on from veteran centers Clint Capela and Larry Nance Jr.

Although these were the conversations, Saleh said that his draft philosophy is to select the best player available rather than filling a specific team need. Saleh also said that he is comfortable with picking at 13 and 22, as he thinks there is good talent to choose from at those picks in the draft, and he bases his picks on optionality.

How is his philosophy as the GM?

Saleh came from two championship-winning organizations, the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs, and said that he "hit the lottery" when he got to learn from Hall of Fame head coaches Steve Kerr and Greg Popovich, as well as general managers Bob Myers and RC Buford. Saleh says that because of those experiences, he is very fortunate to be in this role and is confident in what he can do in the future.

Coming from two organizations that had dynasty teams in the past two decades will definitely help in terms of learning how to win and put together an eventual contending team in the years to come. It should be something to be excited about going forward.

Trae Young and his involvement with the teams future

Trae Young has been in constant trade rumors the past few years, and this year was no different, as he is going into the final year of his contract this summer. Young, however, said that he wants to be in Atlanta and likes what the organization is building for the future, but has yet to sign a contract extension with the team.

Saleh stated that he and Young spoke the other day and that they are both locked in for this upcoming season, as well as having more flexibility with the roster this summer.

"Trae, me and him spoke the other day, and he's just locked in for this season coming up. We're both locked in, and we have a lot of optionality this summer. Between the moves we made at the deadline, a little bit more optionality, flexibility with the trade exceptions that we got, a long way to the tax — different things that we could do — but also having the authority to go into the tax if we need to. So, just looking forward to locking in, and next season, I think it's gonna be a fun one."

How far does Saleh believe the Hawks are from winning a championship?

The Atlanta Hawks finished the season with a 40- 42 record, good enough for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, but saw themselves fall short in the NBA Play-In Tournament to both the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat. This is despite the Hawks dealing with injuries for much of the season and having a young, inexperienced roster.

Saleh referenced that he sees this Hawks team making strides and that it starts every day that the team walks into the facility for practice. The thing that he saw from the two NBA Finals teams, the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder, is roster construction done the right way and developing talent with good chemistry and culture, which he is trying to bring to the Hawks.

Where does Saleh fit on the spectrum of patience and winning now?

The Atlanta Hawks have a promising young team, and it feels like it has been that way for the last few years now, but they haven't quite taken that next step since 2021. Trae Young has been quoted as saying that he is looking to win now, and former general manager Landry Fields has been quoted as saying to be patient in trying to win.

Saleh said that despite all the challenges faced this past season, the team still won 40 games and that they still have options, as young players continue to develop. Additionally, they will have two more young players coming in the draft. He knows that they have different mechanisms to add to this team, including both mid-level and trade exceptions, which will leave room for the team to improve.

Where does Saleh see the biggest emphasis for improvement for this team?

The Atlanta Hawks have demonstrated that their roster has significant room for improvement over the past few seasons, as they haven't had a true winning season in three years. The Hawks have struggled with coaching and roster construction in terms of talent, but have made some solid moves in the draft over the last few seasons, along with a few hit-or-miss trades.

The Hawks' biggest concern right now is a lack of experience and culture in terms of winning basketball as a team, as they have one of the youngest teams in the NBA and haven't been able to stay healthy or win many games to gain valuable experience.

Saleh pointed out that he feels that experience is one area for improvement, and some other places, but his primary focus is building through the draft with the best players available, which will make the team better, and that's how he looks at roster construction that fits the culture the organization is trying to build.

Does Atlanta seem like a place where free agents can see as a destination?

The Atlanta Hawks have an interesting situation in place, as they hold a competitive advantage over most other teams in terms of city life. However, this advantage hasn't yet translated into significant signings over the past few years. Part of the reason for this is a lack of culture within the organization, as well as a history of underachievement. While Atlanta is a great city to be in, players want to know that when they sign with a team, they can trust that they are joining a situation where they have a chance to win.

A prime example of this is a city like Oklahoma City, where players have gone despite it not being a big market destination; they have a winning atmosphere that players want to be a part of. Saleh pointed this out when answering his question about the matter:

"Yeah, I think a cool thing about like when you look at like OKC, I think when you build a culture and have a program in place, that's really important to players. Like the city for sure, I think we have a clear competitive advantage with our city of Atlanta, but you have to have a foundation and stability within the organization to get that. Players care about that stuff, and I think people just think it's like big market or whatnot, but you know there's, there's guys that end up going to OKC because it made sense for them. And now they're NBA champions. So that's where we're getting to, like building, controlling what we control internally, develop how we want to develop, get the guys to be the best version of themselves, and add to that."

As Saleh stated, the organization is focused on building an authentic culture from within and developing players into valuable pieces that can eventually make this team a free-agent destination and a championship team in the future.

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