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Jose Alvarado on the team's mindset against the Atlanta Hawks: "They came out hot. They came out and played. There is a lot of pressure for New York. No matter what people say or how people feel, as players you feel it a little bit. So at that moment, they are coming out and making everything. When you play the Knicks, everybody plays good. Role players, the stars, it is just like, we play the Knicks, now we are turning up. So Atlanta was hooping and they were doing a great job. We were in a close game with Atlanta, we should not be. And they had nothing to lose. We had everything else to lose. So, we are in a close game like, we got to close this out. We got to figure it out. It was so staggering that we were trying to figure it out that we were putting so much pressure on ourselves. And then it was time when we had a meeting and it was like, yo, OG, Pat, Ewing talked to us like, listen, we have been here before, let us do this. And after that, we just woke up and we never looked back."
Sources also say the Hawks are likely to re-sign C.J. McCollum, allowing them to bring a young guard along slowly while also giving him opportunities to run the second unit. Flemings’ ability to pressure the rim with his speed would fit wonderfully with Jalen Johnson, Jonathan Kuminga and other high-level athletes on the Hawks’ roster. Atlanta could use a downhill, athletic guard next to McCollum, Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Much like many of the guards, Flemings is seen as unlikely to fall outside the top 10.
In addition, the Hawks hope to retain center Landale in free agency. Landale spent this past season with the Memphis Grizzlies and Hawks, averaging career-highs in points (10.6), rebounds (5.7), and minutes (22.1), while shooting an efficient 51.5 percent from the field and 38.3 percent beyond the arc. Numerous teams are expected to express interest in the 30-year-old center.
Furthermore, Atlanta has a $24.3 million team option for the 2026-27 season on Kuminga, who scored 40 combined points in two Hawks wins against the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs. The Hawks have conducted their due diligence and gauged Kuminga’s value on the trade market ahead of the draft, league sources told HoopsHype. With that said, the 23-year-old forward returning to the Hawks next season remains a real possibility.
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Speaking of the draft, NBA executives who’ve spoken with HoopsHype project the Hawks to select either a point guard, with one of Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr., Darius Acuff, and Kingston Flemings expected to be available, or Michigan 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara with the No. 8 pick, as previously noted. Lastly, the Hawks have explored the possibility of moving up from their No. 23 pick in the draft, league sources told HoopsHype.
When the Washington Wizards acquired Trae Young for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, they effectively did their free agency shopping early, viewing Young as the most valuable free agent on the market, HoopsHype has learned. Young is excited for a fresh start with the Wizards and to begin the prime of his career in Washington. According to a league source who spoke with HoopsHype, Young hopes to remain a Wizard for a long time. While Young has a $48.97 million player option for the 2026-27 season, the four-time All-Star and the Wizards can come together on a new deal, which is the ultimate expectation within league circles.
As previously reported by HoopsHype, Atlanta wants to re-sign McCollum in free agency. Currently, McCollum is projected to re-sign with the Hawks for an average annual salary around $20 million, HoopsHype has learned.
Atlanta hopes to retain CJ McCollum, league sources told HoopsHype. Meanwhile, the Hawks are figuring out what to do with their $24.3 million team option decision on Jonathan Kuminga and whether to retain him or gauge the trade market on him. More on that later in this story. For now, the chances of the Hawks being considered a real player in the sweepstakes for Reaves are considered low.
Revisiting his declining minutes with the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA, Zaccharie Risacher opened up about his complicated sophomore journey. In a recent interview on beIN Sports, relayed by BeBasket on Wednesday, the 21-year-old forward admitted that he felt a bit lost as the 2025–26 Regular Season progressed. “It was a pretty frustrating season because the playing time I got just kept decreasing,” the former top draft pick confessed regarding his dynamic role change.
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Despite the obstacles on the court, the son of former player Stephane Risacher insists he stayed mentally locked in throughout the challenging stretch. “I had to concentrate more on myself, make sure I kept moving forward despite the adversity,” he said. This operational resilience is fueled by an unwavering certainty regarding his long-term capability at the highest level. “I belong on an NBA court. There’s no doubt about that. I have confidence in myself,” he stressed.
The Hawks certainly could stand to benefit from selecting a guard. While league sources maintain that Atlanta remains hopeful about its chances of re-signing veteran CJ McCollum in free agency after his standout postseason, sources say that the Hawks are interested in coming away with another downhill ballhandler to complement Jalen Johnson over a longer term.
Vince Wolfram: Former Michigan teammates Yaxel Lendeborg and Roddy Gayle Jr. are both in the building with the Atlanta Hawks this morning, per sources. Atlanta holds picks No. 8, No. 23, and No. 57 in next week's 2026 NBA Draft.
Shams Charania: The Bulls landed on Splitter due to his ability to lead the team’s player development, organizational alignment on the franchise's direction and vision, and his leadership and knowledge base as a coach rising through the ranks since 2018 as well as a seven-year NBA player with one championship with the San Antonio Spurs. Splitter, 41, guided the Trail Blazers to a 42-40 record and a postseason berth as the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference amid adversity stemming from Chauncey Billups’ federal charges. Sources said top Bulls officials, including Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Bryson Graham and his front-office staff, met with four finalists for the head coaching job last week in Chicago: Splitter, Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Atlanta Hawks assistant Ryan Schmidt and current Bulls assistant Wes Unseld Jr.