Are the Hawks ready to challenge the Eastern Conference?

Summary

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The Athletic NBA Daily

Episode: Are the Hawks ready to challenge the Eastern Conference?
Date: September 24, 2025
Host: Dave DuFour
Guest: Lauren Williams (Atlanta Journal Constitution Hawks beat writer)

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Dave DuFour sits down with Lauren Williams to break down a pivotal offseason for the Atlanta Hawks and preview their prospects for the 2025–26 NBA season. The conversation covers executive changes, key roster upgrades, the evolving legacy of Trae Young, contract decisions facing the franchise, and expectations for new and emerging young players. The discussion provides a candid assessment of whether the retooled Hawks are ready to truly challenge in the wide-open Eastern Conference.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Front Office Overhaul & Roster Moves (02:41–04:12)

• Most Impactful Change: Lauren points to the front-office shakeup—promoting Anci Soleil to GM—as setting the stage for a major shift.
• Smart Acquisitions: Hawks acquire Kristaps Porzingis (“for pennies on the dollar”), Nikhil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard. These moves add critical depth and experience while keeping future flexibility.
• Lauren Williams:

  “The promotion of Anci Soleil is probably just like the biggest move that the Hawks did this offseason.” (03:44)

2. All-In on Trae Young—One More Look? (04:12–06:31)

• The re-engineered roster is seen as the "most Trey Young team" yet, offering perimeter defense, shooting, and finishing—a perfect evaluative environment for Trae.
• Both Dave and Lauren agree: this is a defining year for Young in Atlanta.
• Lauren Williams:

  “If this doesn’t work ... then it’s maybe time to figure out what’s next.” (04:51) “Trey Young is entering his eighth year... the common denominator would be Trey, if you’re moving so many different pieces around him... now it’s time for him to actually go out and make it work.” (05:36)

3. Contract Decisions: Dyson Daniels & Flexibility (06:31–12:07)

• Dyson Daniels is due for an extension after a breakout year, but his uncertain offensive upside complicates pricing.
• The Hawks moved on from Kobe Bufkin largely for financial flexibility.
• Non-traditional Backup Point Guard: Depth will be managed “by committee”—mentions Jalen Johnson, Alexander-Walker, Kennard, and rookie Zachary Reese Sachet as options.
• Measured Approach: The Hawks want to avoid overpaying early, as past mistakes have shown.
• Lauren Williams:

  “If they can get [Dyson Daniels] in that $16 million range... that would be a pretty solid deal for him. You don’t want to overextend yourself... just because you don’t know what he is offensively.” (07:25) “The Hawks have had a history of going out and overpaying guys too fast, too soon.” (10:30)

4. Roster Construction—Uncertainty and Opportunity (12:07–12:55)

• The Hawks could either gel and make a run (“win 50 games, Conference Finals”) or face issues due to numerous pending contract decisions (Porzingis, Trae Young, Daniels).

5. Player Development: Zachary Reese Sachet (14:56–18:51)

• The “forgotten” #1 overall pick wasn’t the main storyline but is highlighted as a versatile, unselfish big wing who is an ideal glue piece for the Hawks.
• Lauren Williams:

  “He continues to be a consistent shooter—we saw that come alive toward the end of the season... And then also he’s playing off of KP now, who does have the ability to make younger guys around him better.” (15:53)

• KP’s (Porzingis) gravity should open up the floor for shooters and cutters (Sachet and Daniels), easing pressure and catalyzing offense.

6. Big Man Rotation: Versatility and Durability Concerns (19:28–22:33)

• With Porzingis likely to miss some games, Onyeka Okongwu is probably the nominal starter, but new signee N’Faly Dante provides a more traditional look, and the Hawks have a trio of diverse skill-sets.
• Mogay (another big man) offers further flexibility, and rookie Asa Newell is seen as a promising learner who may contribute down the line.
• Lauren Williams:

  “All three of those guys [Porzingis, Okongwu, Dante] are so different in how they play... It’s certainly going to make training camp interesting.” (19:54)

7. The True Swing Factor: Non-Trae Minutes (22:33–24:05)

• Historically, the Hawks crater offensively when Trae Young sits; this season, those minutes (led by Daniels, Alexander-Walker, Kennard) may determine the team’s ceiling.
• Lauren Williams:

  “If they can at least sustain production enough in a way that there isn’t as steep a drop-off as they had in seasons past? I think that’s sort of the swing thing.” (23:05)

• If the Hawks’ bench can “keep it close” during Trae’s rest, the team could be “very, very scary.”

8. Realistic Expectations & Eastern Conference Landscape (24:05–26:12)

• Lauren projects the Hawks to finish 5th in the East, with the ceiling being a return to the Conference Finals, especially given the “wide open” nature of the conference.
• She identifies a likely dogfight for 4th-5th seeds with Detroit and ongoing curiosity about the Milwaukee Bucks’ changes.
• Lauren Williams:

  “I have them getting to, at best, the conference finals... Realistically I have them finishing...around 5th just because it’s so hard for me to predict what Detroit is going to look like.” (24:22)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Stakes for Trae Young:
  Dave DuFour:

  “This feels like... a year where you get to really evaluate what Trey is capable of, because you have your perimeter defense out the wazoo, you have floor spacers from the big position... If, to me, if this doesn’t work, then it’s maybe time to figure out what’s next.” (04:12–04:51)

• On Daniels’ Value:
  Lauren Williams:

  “He does have a lot of improvement to be had... But he can command a lot. He could command a whole lot. Maybe you do wait until restricted free agency with a guy like this.” (09:52–10:27)

• On the Potential of Zachary Reese Sachet:
  Dave DuFour:

  “They have this six, eight wing that can do a little bit of everything developing in the background. And that’s probably even good for him that he’s not, you know, front and center.” (18:25)

• Team Depth & Identity:
  Lauren Williams:

  “I definitely think the bar is raised for Zach to really take another step forward, and especially on the defensive end... But I think, you know, him continuing to play with pace, continuing to find ways to make plays on the offensive end, I think that’s what this team wants him to do.” (17:45)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamps | |------------------------------------------------------|------------------| | Front office changes & offseason impact | 02:41–04:12 | | Assessing Trae Young’s critical year | 04:12–06:31 | | Dyson Daniels, Kobe Buffkin, contract dilemmas | 06:31–12:07 | | The Porzingis fit, depth, and team ceiling/floor | 12:07–14:56 | | Zachary Reese Sachet’s next step | 14:56–18:51 | | Big man rotation, roster depth | 19:28–22:33 | | Swing factor: Non-Trae minutes & second units | 22:33–24:05 | | Conference expectations, likely playoff finish | 24:05–26:12 |

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Conclusion: Are the Hawks Ready?

The Atlanta Hawks head into the 2025–26 season as a deeper, more versatile squad with a pivotal year looming for Trae Young and several contract decisions that could reshape the franchise. With improved roster balance and a wider path in the competitive (yet unsettled) Eastern Conference, the Hawks seem poised to test their ceiling. The consensus: a strong, top-5 finish and possible return to the Conference Finals—if their new pieces click, the non-Trae minutes improve, and fortune smiles.

Lauren Williams’s final advice:

“Support local journalism.” (26:29)

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For more Hawks analysis, follow Lauren Williams at the Atlanta Journal Constitution and keep listening to The Athletic NBA Daily.

Transcript

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[D]

Welcome to the Athletic NBA Daily. On today's show, we are talking Atlanta Hawks. Lots of expectations for the Hawks. And with me is my friend Lauren Williams who writes for the Atlanta Journal Constitution about the Atlanta Hawks. It's great to have you. We had Lauren on many times last season. She's been on Slam and Jam. A great writer, a great podcast guest. We're glad to have you on again.

[C]

Thank you so much for having me. As I said, it's always great to talk Hawks and yeah, the expectations are very much different this year.

[D]

Yeah. And some of that goes with the things that did this summer to add to the team. In your mind, what's the most impactful change that the Hawks made this summer?

[C]

I think it would have to start with. And this is, you know, no disrespect to Landry feels. I know he was at the beginning of his career as a general manager, but it's clear that the Hawks just needed somebody with a little bit more experience behind that and moving on from him bringing in on C. Soleil, or rather promoting Anci Soleil to the general manager role, I think that just kind of kick started a lot of, you know, the change in direction. You know, he. He acquired Kristaps Porzingis for, you know, what feels like pennies on the dollar. Just because the expectations are a little bit higher, but the. The. The reward is. Is pretty much higher than the risk that it. It did to acquire him. Just because he's only on contract for one. One season. If they want to resign him, they can. I mean, he's playing for another contract with the Hawks, but they're not locked into that. And then obviously bringing on Nikhil Alexander, Walker, Luke Kennard, those are just huge moves just to add some depth to this team. And not only just depth, but a lot more experience than this Hawks team has had in the last couple of seasons. So, yeah, I think the promotion of Auntie Soleil is probably just like the biggest move that the Hawks did this offseason.

[D]

Yeah, this feels like the most depth and the most Trey Young team that we've seen. And so, I mean, it feels like a year where you get to really evaluate what Trey is capable of, because you have your perimeter defense out the wazoo, you have floor spacers from the big position. You have a guy that can even roll to the basket some, and Yaka Kong Wu, who I think is taking some steps forward. So I just think, like, this is the year where it's like, hey, what. What do we actually have with Trae Young as the leader of this team? And if, to me, if this doesn't work.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Then it's maybe time to figure out what's next. Do you feel the same way?

[C]

I absolutely do. You know, Trey Young is entering his eighth year in the league. The Hawks have tried a few different iterations of teams around him, and it's like the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over or different things over and over and expecting the same result or a different result or whatever it is. And so the common denominator, and that would be Trey, if you're moving so many different pieces around him, and with this being such a big year for him in terms of what does the future look like for him, contract wise, he's got a player option in the 2026, 2027 season. The Hawks have, like, looked at options as far as, you know, a potential trade partner with Trey. And from all that we've heard, it doesn't seem like there are that many buyers out there for him. And so he's got to play for his contract this season if he wants to stay in Atlanta. So I think that's a huge incentive for him. With a team that's got higher expectations, they're going to go out and compete because you don't go out and get a guy like Kristaps for Zingis and not have the expectation that this team is going to compete. You don't go out and get a guy like Luke Kennard who's been in the postseason, you know what, three of the last four years and, and not expect there to be a team that's going to compete. Same with Nikhil Alexander Walker going to the Western Conference finals last season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. You have to have the expectation that this team is going to compete. And so that's something that Trae Young has said that he's wanted to do. And so you have these pieces now, and now it's time for him to actually go out and. And make it work with them.

[D]

Yeah. An interesting storyline that is kind of ongoing with this team and it started last year with acquiring Dyson Daniels before the season. He's up for a contract extension and he had an awesome year.

[C]

Awesome year.

[D]

Yeah. And they recently traded Kobe Buffkin with Shout out to the Buffkin boys. I'm a. I was a big believer in Kobe Buffkin at the draft. They traded him just for cash. They're like, hey, take Kobe Buffkin off our hands. I think some of that was get his salary off of our books so that we can extend. Because it would be really silly not to extend Dyson Daniels and. But I don't know what the number is that makes sense for him.

[C]

I. I couldn't tell you myself either. I would think it what you would want. I think Jalen Johnson's, what, in the 16 million range? 15 million range. I'm just thinking off the top of my head. Congo is in like that state, similar range. So you would anticipate that with him having a season award that maybe that elevates him a little bit to stay in that similar range. Only because his offensive tool set is still kind of a question mark, you know. So I do think that if they can kind of get him in, in that area, then I think that would be a pretty solid deal for him. You don't want to overextend yourself with him too much just because you just don't know what he is offensively. I think we are pretty confident in who he is defensively and that's not to say that that's not something that you put a value on, but with the way that this team plays, with what Quinn Snyder wants this team to do, he's going to have to find some more things in his offensive tool bag in order to justify the Hawks kind of really rolling out the armored trucks for him, if you will. So I think the big thing is, is that he's going to have a lot more responsibility this year. I know a lot of people have slotted, had slotted in Kobe Buffkin as sort of the backup point guard, but if you look at the way that the team is constructed, there is no traditional backup point guard on this team. It's always, I think, going to be a point guard, a backup point guard by committee, if you will. Of Jalen Johnson, Nikhil Alexander Walker, Dyson Daniels, Luke Kennard, and in my opinion, underratedly, Zachary Reese Sachet. I don't think we've totally seen Zach's ability as a playmaker yet just because of how young he is, but I think with the added expectation that Dyson is going to take on some of that role as one of the, you know, secondary playmakers on this roster, especially when Trey goes to the bench, that should help, you know, know his case for getting a little bit more money, I think.

[D]

Yeah, yeah. Jalen Johnson's making 30 million, so he's getting.

[C]

Thank you.

[D]

Yeah, he's getting. He got the 5 for 150 deal.

[C]

I knew it was a multi year, like, I knew it was like five something. I don't know where I was putting the five. So.

[D]

Yeah, Nikhil got the 15 million.

[C]

Thank you. There we go.

[D]

Is probably what you were thinking. And like, it's, it's tough. I think that he, because he's super young one, you know, there's a, there's a lot of improvement to be had.

[C]

It's only 22, 23.

[D]

Yeah, it's. It's wild. But he's going. I mean, he can command a lot. He could command a whole lot. And so I just wonder, is he going to get something close to that 5 for 150? Is he going to get something closer to what Josh Giddey got out there, the 4 for 100? I. I don't know what to pay him, he's extremely valuable, especially if you are moving forward with Trey Young. Part of this makes me think, like, okay, maybe we do. Maybe you do wait until restricted free agency with a guy like this.

[C]

I don't know.

[D]

It's a tricky one. It's a really tricky one.

[C]

It is a tricky one. But I also think there is a little bit of value in waiting and seeing, especially maybe to get a sense of what the rest of the NBA kind of values Dyson Daniels at. And maybe that can help inform, you know, the direction that this. Obviously, you don't want your hand to be twisted or your wrist to be twisted or whatever it is, but I don't know. The Hawks have had a history of going out and overpaying guys too fast, too soon. And over the last couple of seasons, they've kind of steered clear of that. And so I think, you know, Johnson had his prove it year for the most part in what, 20, 23, 24 season, and then he got. So I don't think there's any harm in them, you know, maybe keeping the discussion lines open throughout the season and then, you know, making the offer, then.

[D]

Yeah, I mean, there are a lot of decisions that are coming up and I like the construction of this team, but things could change pretty rapid, rapidly, because Porzingis is on his last deal that you mentioned. He'll be an unrestricted free agent. Trey Young needs a contract extension as well. And so as much as some people really like the iteration of this roster, maybe it does stay together. Maybe it works perfectly and this team wins 50 games and they get to the conference finals again, like, that would be great. But there is also another world where things unravel just because of the contract situations that they have in front of them.

[C]

Sure. And I think too, they're of course very much concerned with building, not that. Not a team that's just kind of competing for, you know, a conference finals, a finals position this season. But they're very much adamant wanting to build a team that's going to be competing in that realm for multiple years. And so with them, you know, acquiring, you know, a couple more picks, maybe that also helps to inform their decision of what they want to pay somebody like Dyson Daniels. Especially if, you know, in this upcoming draft class you can find somebody that can provide a similar skill set for cheaper foreign.

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[D]

Number one pick Zachary Sachet. He had an interesting Euro basket. I would say he I think he's great for this particular Hawks team because like he's wired to be unselfish in so many ways. He's a guy that loves to play off of other guys. He's. His unselfishness I think is a great thing for him in the NBA.

[C]

It.

[D]

I think it kind of hurt maybe the perception of him and Eurobasket a little bit. But what are the expectations for this guy? I think that, you know, looking back, it was a, it was certainly a question. It was a weird draft year as a weird year to have the number one pick. No one really knew who was supposed to be the number one pick. I look back at it, I think, you know what, the Hawks did a good job.

[C]

I agree.

[D]

A big wing that can shoot it. He fits into the way that they want to play. I think that he has a chance to take a step this year. What are the, what are the expectations for Reese's Shay heading into this season?

[C]

I mean, I think the big thing is that he does take a step in this upcoming year. I think he continues to, you know, be a consistent shooter. We saw that sort of come alive toward the end of the season. He was what, shooting, you know, close to 40%, if not 40% in the latter half of the year. And once he kind of got over the, you know, habit that a lot, I think a lot of rookies do with questioning some of their shot selection or the hesitation, he looked a lot more confident knocking shots down. And so I think the expectation is that he continues to build on that and I kind of touched on it a little bit already is just his ability to be somebody that could be a playmaker, especially, you know, alongside a guy like Jalen Johnson who pushes the pace. Zach has the ability to make things happen in the half court. I think that's an underrated part of his game. And then also he's playing off of KP now, who does have the ability to make younger guys around him better. We saw it when he went to D.C. with the Wizards and he was helping guys like who's on that team when he first came to D.C. i know. Why am I blanking on that team? Kuzma was on that team and Kuzma looked really good that season. Who else was there?

[D]

This is a very forgettable Wizards team. I mean, Beal was obviously there, Abdia.

[C]

Was there and he had the ability to make those guys around him look better. Even though again, yes, you're right, it was. I couldn't forget who was on the or couldn't remember who was on that team. But I just remember that Wizards team giving the Hawks problems just because of Porzingis ability to stretch the floor and then obviously being around other guys like Nikhil Alexander, Walker again, Luke Canard, all have postseason experience and can pour into some of those young guys. But I definitely think the bar is raised for Zach to really take another step forward and especially on the defensive end. I think that was what a lot of people had questions about was whether he could be an impact player on the defensive end. And his off ball work I think was pretty solid for a 19 year old. So you expect that he's going to continue improving on that side of the ball as well. But I think, you know, him continuing to play with pace, continuing to find ways to make plays on the offensive end. I think that's kind of what this team wants him to do while still being unselfish, of course. Yeah, yeah.

[D]

I think that he has probably been forgotten in some ways. Just because you think about Jalen Johnson, you think about Trae Young, the Porzingis Edition Even Nikhil is somebody that people think a lot about, but they have this six, eight wing that can do a little bit of everything developing in the background a little bit. I think it's. And that's probably even good for him that he's not, you know, front and center. So I, I think that he's going to have a really nice second year. I look forward to watching him.

[C]

Oh, for sure. And I think too, I know a lot of, a lot of that pressure necessarily, but like the expectation is that having Kristaps Porzingis in the lineup is going to open up the floor for a lot of guys. Obviously Jalen Johnson who, you know, likes to attack the basket, but also it's going to help guys like Dyson Daniels and Zachary Ricochet who have the ability to cut to the basket and that's a huge part of their games. And so if you have somebody like KP who commands a lot of attention, that's going to take a lot of, a lot of pressure off of guys like Zach and Dyson.

[D]

Yeah, my. I think this team has good depth. The thing I do worry about is the center position for them because if Porzingis will probably play 60ish games if he has a normal year and maybe more, maybe less, but then it's in Yeko Kong Woo and then who would be. My question is going to be a backup center for them.

[C]

I think a lot of people do forget about and Fali Dante, who they signed underratedly from from the Rockets. I think one of the big things that the Hawks right now really like about what they have at center position is all three of those guys are so different in so many different ways in terms of how they play. Anika is a little bit of a hybrid. Dante is Cordovir traditional big and then obviously Porzingis and I think the fact that they have those guys who do such different things, it's certainly going to make training camp interesting competition wise. I don't even think the Hawks know who's going to be their starter yet, but I personally would probably start Onyeka just because of his durability last season and him really and truly earning that starter position. I think you have a bit more flexibility with KP coming off the bench, but also I think a lot of people forget that KP could play the four and so I do think, you know, they have a little bit more versatility at the big. I think the Hawks aren't particularly worried about how many minutes each guy is going to play and it's going to kind of balance out just because both of those players in KP and Onyeka can kind of switch a little bit at the four and the five. And so when you throw Dante in there a little bit, I think that takes maybe some of the worry about, well, is it going to be sustainable for KP to play X amount of minutes or Canyeka play? I mean, Ana played Dang near 40 minutes in that last playing game or near 50 minutes in that last playing game or whatever it was against the Heat. And he looked really good. He was putting in a lot of work. And obviously that's not something you want your center to be doing all season long, but he's put a lot of effort into making his body stronger so that he can have a lasting impact on the team. And so I do think that that's kind of what the center. I think a lot of people also forget that Mogay can play minutes at the five in a pinch. It's not, it's not always perfect.

[D]

Right.

[C]

But it's, it's. He's there and he does add a lot of depth. He can also play the four also ace of Newell. I don't think the expectation is that Asa Newell is going to be playing a ton of minutes, you know, in with the main roster. I think he's going to spend, you know, quite a bit of time in College park. But he's a very smart player and from everything that I've heard and in the Hawks organization this summer is like he picks up things fairly quickly. And so I think, you know, he will come along at a solid pace that if you need him to step up and put him on the big stage, he can handle it.

[D]

Yeah. What do you think the biggest swing factor is for this team if they're, if they're going to achieve the things that people that are the highest on the Hawks think they can achieve. Let's say outside of injuries, because I.

[C]

Think injuries, I was going to say.

[D]

Injuries are the biggest swing factor for every team, so I won't let you use that one. But what is a swing factor for them like on the court that you think could get them to being like a conference finalist again?

[C]

Yeah, I think the biggest thing is if that they can, even if they're not per se winning the non trae young minutes, if they can at least sustain production enough in a way that there isn't as steep of drop off as they had in seasons past? I think that's sort of the swing thing. That's a, that's what a lot of people worry about is just what does the offense look like when Trey goes to the bench. And if you have guys like Dyson Daniels and Nikhil Alexander, Walker and Luke Kennard, you know, sustaining that production or even keeping it as close to what Trae Young can, you know, potentially do this upcoming season, I think that's a huge part of what will make this Hawks team successful. Just because if, if you don't have to over rely on the defense like the Hawks had to do last year when Trey went to the bench, then I think they're a team that can be, you know, very scary. Very, very scary.

[D]

Yeah, I agree. I love this team. But that said, what's the most realistic outcome? You know, let's fast forward. Season's over. We're doing exit interviews. What's the most likely outcome for the Sox team?

[C]

I. I have them getting to, at best, the conference finals. Of course, it's, it's. I just, it's hard for me to see this team making it all the way to the finals. I do think that they could make a conference finals runs, especially if things all line up the way that, you know, if obviously injuries happen during the season, but if they're at a point where it's not something that, you know, truly impacts the season in a negative way, like, for example, Jalen Johnson not going down in January with the season ending, shoulder surgery, if the injuries are as minimal as possible or as, you know, what's the word I'm looking for? Light, not as serious. I'm struggling with words, but I think if that's the case and they can get as far as the conference finals, especially because the east is so wide open right now, realistically, I have them finishing the regular season around 5th just because it's just so hard for me to predict what Detroit is going to look like. And I think that's just kind of, to me, their most comparable competition. If in terms of just teams that line up, I think those two teams are going to be battling for fourth and fifth.

[D]

Agreed.

[C]

And then I think Milwaukee's six. I don't know. I just, I. I'm really, I'm really intrigued by the Giannis Turner pairing. I'm really intrigued to see how that sort of works out. But yeah, so exit interviews. I think we're probably talking to them maybe after, you know, the semis. The Eastern Conference semis.

[D]

Yeah, realistically. Which is a step forward. I think that, to me is super realistic. I think that that makes sense to me. Go read Lauren at the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Anything else you want to promote before we go, Lauren?

[C]

Support local journalism.

[D]

Yes. I love that. I love that. Lauren. We'll have you on again as the season progresses. We're big Hawks fans here. Love that at the Athletic NBA Daily, so we'll definitely be hitting you up. Thanks for coming on.

[C]

Thanks for having me.

[E]

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[B]

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