The Trae Young era is over for the Atlanta Hawks, with the former fifth overall pick being traded to the Washington Wizards in a seemingly uneven splash trade. However, following the franchise-altering move, all that’s certain is that 24-year-old forward Jalen Johnson clearly usurped Young as the team’s go-to player. With that being said, Atlanta’s first order of business will be determining roles, a process made easier by establishing a firm but flexible depth chart.
Predicting Atlanta Hawks Depth Chart Following Trae Young Trade
Lead Guard: Dyson Daniels, CJ McCollum, Keaton Wallace
Off Guard: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard
Small Forward: Zaccharie Risacher, Vit Krejci, Nikola Djurisic
Power Forward: Jalen Johnson, Corey Kispert, Asa Newell
Big/Center: Onyeka Okongwu, Kristaps Porzingis, Mo Gueye, N’Faly Dante
The Rationale
In trading away Young, the Hawks no longer have a definitive answer at point guard. However, four-year pro Dyson Daniels could very well emerge as that player. After all, he entered the league as a lead guard, though he was unable to secure the starting role. Ironically, in his time with the New Orleans Pelicans, he was behind McCollum on the depth chart.
Daniels’s playmaking instincts aren’t quite as pronounced or praised as his point-of-attack defense. Nevertheless, he’s currently averaging a career-high 6.1 assists per game. So, for at least the remainder of their 2025-26 campaign, expect Daniels to man the point guard position in the first unit. It’s worth mentioning that this also helps Atlanta maintain continuity, as Daniels has started in every game he’s played this season.
To be clear, Johnson remains the Hawks’ primary facilitator, averaging a team-high 8.1 assists per game. Furthermore, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is capable of initiating the offense as well. As a result, while Daniels may be the nominal point guard, their playmaking will be by committee.
Why CJ McCollum Shouldn’t Start
It’s possible that the Hawks opt to start McCollum alongside Daniels and Alexander-Walker.
Lead Guard: CJ McCollum, Keaton Wallace
Off Guard: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard
Small Forward: Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Vit Krejci, Nikola Djurisic
Power Forward: Jalen Johnson, Corey Kispert, Asa Newell
Big/Center: Onyeka Okongwu, Kristaps Porzingis, Mo Gueye, N’Faly Dante
The primary purpose would be replacing Zaccharie Risacher with a more effective scorer, which would take pressure off of everyone. Yet, that decision would undoubtedly diminish their defensive potential. Risacher’s offense leaves a lot to be desired, particularly as a No. 1 pick, but he plays a prominent role at the other end. It could also complicate their rotation, potentially creating a logjam on the wing or in the frontcourt.
As a result, McCollum should be coming off the bench and leading a second unit that ranks 18th in points per game (34.9). For comparison’s sake, the Hawks starters average 83.5 points per game (10th in the NBA).
Joining McCollum in the second unit will be stretch-forward Corey Kispert. A player who Atlanta’s brass was keen on acquiring, the Gonzaga alum is shooting a blistering 39.5% from 3 this season. Over the course of his five-year career, he’s converted 38.3% of his long-range attempts. For a team that takes 38.7 three-point attempts per game (11th in the NBA) and has multiple on-ball playmakers, he’ll be a valuable weapon.
Kispert’s efficiency from 3-point range also allows him to improve the floor balance. To that point, Johnson and Daniels are unreliable from beyond the arc, but constantly attacking the rim. They’ll be more difficult to defend if opponents aren’t so comfortable shrinking the floor to stop them. In that way, Kispert could be more useful than Risacher (35.8%) or Mo Gueye (25.0%) offensively.
What About Anthony Davis?
Ideally, the Hawks would be able to flip the expiring contracts of McCollum and Kristaps Porzingis (about $61.4 million combined) for Dallas Mavericks big man Anthony Davis ($54.1 million) and a player that offset the difference in salary. Mavs point guard D’Angelo Russell, who makes $5.9 million this season and hasn’t received the opportunity he expected in Dallas, seems like the most likely option.
At that point, the depth chart could be:
Lead Guard: Dyson Daniels, D’Angelo Russell, Keaton Wallace
Off Guard: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard
Small Forward: Zaccharie Risacher, Vit Krejci, Nikola Djurisic
Power Forward: Jalen Johnson, Corey Kispert, Asa Newell
Big/Center: Anthony Davis, Onyeka Okongwu, Mo Gueye, N’Faly Dante
There’s no question that Davis would start over Onyeka Okongwu despite the 25-year-old having a career season. Experience and accolades aside, Davis has better rebounding and defensive instincts. Given that Atlanta ranks 17th in blocks per game (4.8), 24th in opponent’s points per game (119.4), 23rd in defensive rebounding percent (73.1), 27th in offensive rebounds per game (9.9), and 25th in opponent’s 2-point percentage (.562), there’s no need that those are areas they need help in.
Whether Russell would start over Keaton Wallace is a legitimate question, in large part due to Russell’s downward spiral and Wallace’s dogged defense. On top of that, Wallace is shooting a career-high 41.3% from 3. However, Russell is more of a scoring-minded point guard than Wallace, which could aid a second unit whose offense is often stuck in quicksand.
Ultimately, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder may be willing to entrust Russell with leading the bench due to his skillet and experience. Nevertheless, Russell’s reputation does precede him, and that could be enough to keep him in the ‘Break In Case Of Emergency’ category.
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