The Most Tradeable Contracts on the Atlanta Hawks Roster

The Atlanta Hawks have an interesting roster configuration.

Atlanta has been able to build out its roster into a playoff team and don't have a large salary on their books, allowing them to have plenty of optionality and flexibility during the season and in the offseason to make moves if they choose to.

There is going to come a time when that is not the case, as many players on the Hawks roster should be consider underpaid and when it is time for an extension, they are certainly going to get more than they currently make.

Let's breakdown the Hawks contracts in terms of their tradeability.

Tradeable, but not available

Jalen Johnson- $30,000,000
Onyeka Okongwu-$16,100,000
Nickeil Alexander-Walker- $14,403,710
Aaron Wiggins- $9,028,038
Kingston Flemings- $7,348,680
Zuby Ejiofor- $3,453,360
Asa Newell- $3,399,480
Mouhamed Gueye- $2,406,205
Henri Veesaar-

Some of these contracts are not like the others.

On the surface, it might seem ridiculous to have players like Wiggins, Gueye, Newell, Flemings, and Ejiofor as untradeable, but their worth far exceeds their contract value and what the Hawks would get on the open market.

Wiggins is a descending contract with a team option at the end of it. For a player with his skillset and ability, that is a dream contract for an NBA front office.

Gueye has kept improving in each season and is a very good help defender with athleticism and a growing offensive game. He is more valuable to the Hawks on this contract than what another team would value him at and give the Hawks in a trade.

The same goes for Newell, Flemings, and Ejiofor. Newell played sparingly during his rookie season, but Atlanta is high on his skillset on offense and he could outplay this contract pretty quickly.

Atlanta just drafted Flemings and Ejiofor and you can look at their performances in Summer League to see why the Hawks drafted them where they did.

Johnson is on one of the best contracts in the NBA. He was an All-NBA level performer last season and had his best year as a pro, and the Hawks consider him an "MVP level" talent. Atlanta could get a substantial amount if he were on the market, due to his age, contract, and skillset, but he is the player the Hawks are building around.

Alexander-Walker was the best free agent signing in the league last season and became the second consecutive Hawks player to win Most Improved Player. He should remain a starter this season, though he might be best suited in a bench role long-term, and if he can improve on the season he just had, his value on this contract would skyrocket.

You can say the same about Okongwu. Okongwu is an upper-tier level starting center in the NBA and is underpaid at his current number. When you compare that with the salaries of players like Myles Turner, Nic Claxton, and some other starting centers, Okongwu is one of the best contracts in the league.

Moveable, at the right price

CJ McCollum- $21,000,000
Jock Landale- $14,000,000
Zaccharie Risacher-$13,826,040
Devin Carter- $5,158,080

When the Hawks made the deals for McCollum and Landale, it was noteworthy that both were one-year deals, and they add up to $36 million in expiring money. Both players were critical for the Hawks after being acquired ahead of the trade deadline, but neither one of them figures into the Hawks' long-term plans, and when the trade deadline comes around, the Hawks could look to move them.

It will be fascinating to see what the Hawks do with the team options for both Zaccharie Risacher and Devin Carter in October. Risacher has a team option for $17,434,637 and Carter has a team option for $7,370897 for next season and if the Hawks were to decline, it would make them expiring contracts, which would give them two more to potentially trade.

If the options are picked up, that might make them more difficult to trade. Neither is guaranteed to be in the Hawks long term plans and they need big seasons in 2026-2027.

Available, but tough to move

Corey Kispert- $13,975,000
Buddy Hield- $9,658,536

If the Hawks had a taker for either one of these contracts, they would probably be gone by now.

It was a surprise when the Hawks guaranteed Hield's contract. Hield was not a part of the Hawks' rotation after he came over from Golden State, and while he could still be of use on an NBA roster, he is overpaid at nearly $10 million.

Kispert is going to be a tough contract to move due to him having three years left on it. He fell out of the rotation due to his poor defense and his role for this upcoming season is not exactly clear.