The Atlanta Hawks continue to add to their roster and it looks to be finalized, though a couple of the moves have not been officially announced by the organization just yet. It was reported by Michael Scotto at Hoopshype that the Hawks agreed to a two-year, $4.5 million offer sheet with Houston Rockets two-way restricted free agent N'Faly Dante, who averaged 15.1 points on 74.3% shooting, 9.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and 1.0 steals in the G League last season.
Just In: The Atlanta Hawks have agreed to a two-year, $4.5 million offer sheet with Houston Rockets two-way restricted free agent N'Faly Dante, league sources told @hoopshype. He averaged 15.1 points on 74.3% shooting, 9.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and 1.0 steals in the G League. pic.twitter.com/PIjcA0q7ip
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) August 16, 2025
Now, the Rockets have until Monday to match the offer sheet but Spotrac's Keith Smith outlined why that is unlikely:
By my numbers, the Rockets do not currently have enough room under their first-apron hard cap to match the offer sheet N'Faly Dante signed with the Hawks.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) August 16, 2025
I believe Dante is the first two-way player to sign a standard offer sheet with another team since two-way contracts began.
The Hawks have now filled all 15 roster spots and their roster appears to be set with the signing of Dante. With that, how does their depth chart now look for this upcoming season?
PG- Trae Young
Backups- Kobe Bufkin, Nikola Đurišić, and Vit Krejci
Summary: The Hawks have one of the best point guards and offensive machines in the NBA with Trae Young, but the backup situation is interesting. While you don't necessarily need a traditional backup point guard, it is a fair question as to who runs the offense when Young is on the floor. While they could add one here before the summer is over, it looks like they will rely on a combination of Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard, Bufkin, and Krejci to handle the ball. While Young has yet to sign his extension this offseason, this team is tailor-made to hide his weaknesses on defense and get the most out of his strengths on offense. Young was incredible at shot creation last season, but the Hawks had a shooting problem. Now they have Porzingis, Alexander-Walker, and Kennard. This could be the best season yet from Young.
Krejci is a very talented passer and a good deep bench guy to have. He is 6'8 and has improved in each season he has been with the Hawks. Bufkin is the big unknown. He has flashed talent and the Hawks reportedly still really like him, but he has been injured for the better part of two seasons. He has had a solid Summer League so far, but his exact place in the rotation is still unclear.
Đurišić was signed to a standard contract last week and he has displayed his talented passing ability this Summer. I would expect him to spend a lot of this season in the G-League, but this is an upside bet from the Hawks front office.
SG- Dyson Daniels
Backup: Luke Kennard
Summary: Daniels won the NBA's Most Improved Player award last season and was the runner-up for defensive player of the year. Pretty good for a debut season.
Daniels owned a league-best 3.01 steals per game this past season, the first player to average over 3.0 steals per game since Alvin Robertson in 1990-91. He swiped 229 total steals, the most thefts in a single season in franchise history and the most by any player in the NBA since 1996 Defensive Player of the Year Gary Payton (231, 1995-96). The third-year guard owned 98 more steals than the next closest player (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 131), marking the largest gap between No. 1 and No. 2 in NBA history. He finished the season with a steal-to-foul ratio of 1.31 (229 steals to 175 fouls), the ninth-best steal-to-foul ratio since 1973-74 and the best by any player in the league since Allen Iverson in 2002-03 (1.51). He also had tremendous offensive growth. His increases from 2023-24 to 2024-25: +8.3 PPG, +2.0 RPG, +1.7 APG, + 1.62 SPG, +0.31 BPG, +.046 FG%, +.029 3FG%. Is another jump in store for Daniels this season
One of the Hawks' biggest weaknesses on their roster was shooting, and despite adding Kristaps Porzingis already this offseason, they need more of it. Surrounding Trae Young with shooters is a recipe for success, and there are not many in the NBA who are better than Kennard. For his career, Kennard is a 43.8% three-point shooter and has not shot worse than 40% from three since the 2019-2020 season. Kennard is not the strongest defender, but he adds an instant boost to the Hawks' bench and their shooting.
SF- Zaccharie Risacher
Backups- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Summary- This is a position where I think the Hawks could add another player, as Alexander-Walker is not a traditional backup small forward, though he could play the spot. Risacher is coming off a very good rookie year, especially in the second half, and the Hawks could be a very dangerous team if he takes a big enough leap in year two.
Risacher is the 10th Hawk in franchise history to earn a spot on the All-Rookie First Team, joining Trae Young (2018-19), Al Horford (2007-08), Stacey Augmon (1991-92), Dominique Wilkins (1982-83), John Drew (1974-75), John Brown (1973-74), Pete Maravich (1970-71), Lou Hudson (1966-67) and Zelmo Beaty (1962-63).
In 75 games (73 starts), Risacher averaged 12.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 24.6 minutes of action (.458 FG%, .355 3FG%, .711 FT%), becoming the only rookie in the league this season to average at least 10.0 points on .450/.350/.700 shooting splits. Using the same qualifiers as regular-season leaders, he led all rookies in field goal percentage, while ranking third in points per game and fourth in three-point percentage. Risacher ranked second amongst all rookies in total points (942) and made field goals (357), fourth in made three-pointers (122), and fifth in made free throws (106). He also owned the highest offensive rating for an Eastern Conference rookie who made at least 65 appearances (112.3).
Alexander-Walker appeared in 82 games (10 starts) for the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2024-25 season, tallying 9.4 points, in addition to career-high averages of 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in a career-best 25.3 minutes per game (.438 FG%, .381 3FG%, .780 FT%). The 6-5 guard, who also appeared in all 82 games during the 2023-24 season, is one of only five players in the NBA to see action in every regular-season game in each of the last two seasons, joining Harrison Barnes, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Green, and Buddy Hield.
He netted 10-or-more points in a career-high 36 games during the 2024-25 campaign, including five contests with 20-or-more points. Alexander-Walker buried a career-best 141 three-pointers this past season, 125 of which were catch-and-shoot triples, per NBA.com/Stats. He owned a .425 3FG% on catch-and-shoot three-pointers during the 2024-25 season, the 10th-best clip in the league (min. 275 3FGA).
The Virginia Tech product tallied a career-high 170 total deflections the past season, in addition to securing .725% of defensive loose balls. Per NBA.com/Stats, Alexander-Walker’s .725% of defensive loose balls recovered was the second-highest percentage by any player in the NBA during the 2024-25 season (min. 25 defensive loose balls recovered).
PF- Jalen Johnson
Backups- Mouhamed Gueye and Asa Newell
Summary- This is a fascinating position for the Hawks. Johnson has had trouble with injuries for two straight seasons, but he looks like an All-NBA type of player when healthy. Gueye showed real flashes on the defensive end when he had to play last season, but he has to show growth on offense to play a real rotation role. Newell was the Hawks ' round selection this year, and while he does not have a clear path to playing time, he will have an opportunity in the Summer League and in the preseason to show what he can do.
Our own Rohan Raman had this to say about Johnson's season for the Hawks:
"On offense, he connected on a career-high 72% of his attempts at the rim (88th percentile). That was the second-best percentage on the Hawks last season and the next closest starter was Caris LeVert (67%). His TS% took a dip from 58.4% to 56.9%, but his AST% took a massive jump from 15.4% to 20.4%. Outside of Trae Young, there isn't a player on the Hawks with his abilities as a ball-handler. His TOV% did rise to 15.1% this season, but he also had the highest USG% of his career at 22.5%. Johnson also does tons of work on the offensive glass - he had an OREB% of 4.9% (74th percentile). Even though it was only 35 games, there were tons of encouraging signs from Johnson's growth as a offensive contributor. There's no reason to think he cannot be a high-level second option for Atlanta in the coming seasons."
Per Cleaning the Glass, the Hawks were +9.4 points better per 100 possessions with Gueye on the floor in 515 total minutes played. The Hawks' defense ranked in the 98th percentile in points allowed per 100 possessions (-9.6), in the 81st percentile in effective field goal percentage allowed, 74th percentile in TOV%, 98th percentile in offensive rebounding percentage allowed, and 80th percentile in free throw percentage allowed. 515 minutes is not a large sample, but those are really good numbers on defense, and Atlanta was better on that end when he played as opposed to not.
Newell appeared in 33 games (all starts) in his lone collegiate season at Georgia, averaging 15.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block in 29.0 minutes (.543 FG%, .748 FT%). He earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors four times during the 2024-25 campaign, matching Anthony Edwards’ program record set in 2019-20.
The first freshman to lead Georgia in scoring (15.4 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg) since Jumaine Jones in 1997-98, Newell secured seven double-doubles this past season, tied for the fourth-most in the nation amongst all freshmen. He registered a 21-point, 17-rebound double-double on March 12 against Oklahoma, the most rebounds by a Bulldog since Toumani Camara’s 17 boards against Montana in Dec. 2020.
C- Onyeka Okongwu
Backups- Kristaps Porzingis and N'Faly Dante
Summary- This is one of the best center tandems in the NBA and depending on the matchup, the Hawks can choose to play one or the other the starter level minutes. Not only that, but they can also play together. Porzingis has played plenty of power forward over the course of his career. Dante is the newest member of the Hawks, and I think he is more than worthy of a flier on their end. He can serve as the third center and can be the backup whenever Okongwu or Porzingis misses time. The Hawks also have one of the best G-League development teams in the NBA, a perfect place for him to continue growing.
Porzingis, at his best, gives them needed floor spacing, interior size, and versatility. Over the past year, Atlanta has wanted to get bigger around Trae Young and put the kind of team around him to succeed. Porzingis can do that. He could play the four, and Atlanta could have a big lineup of Young, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Porzingis, and Onyeka Okongwu. Or, Porzingis could come off the bench and be a backup center, which is what I think is likely to happen, but you never know.
This deal of course has downside as well. Porzingis is a huge injury risk. He has battled injuries at different parts of his career and was battling an illness with Boston this season. Is he going to be available for the Hawks? Atlanta needs to prove something this season and has struggled with player availability over the past two seasons. At his best, Porzingis would be a huge help, but it is a risk.
Porzingis is on an expiring contract and is owed $30.7 million next season.
In 57 games for the Celtics during the 2023-2024 season, Porzingis averaged 20.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 1.9 BPG while shooting 51.6% from the field and 37.5% from three. He was instrumental in the Celtics title. This season, Porzingis played in 42 games for the Celtics, averaging 19.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 1.5 BPG while shooting 48.3% from the field and 41.2% from three.
Okongwu got his chance to start last season and he was really solid in the latter part of the season. Ever since being picked 6th overall in 2020, fans had been waiting to see if Okongwu would be given the chance to start. While there are certain matchups that hurt Okongwu more than others due to his size, Okongwu pairs nicely with Jalen Johnson, especially on defense.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!