The Atlanta Hawks enter the 2025 offseason with reasonable optimism. The team won more games (40) in 2024-25 than it did in 2023-24, even while pivoting to a roster that was younger and more future-facing. In addition, Atlanta made the postseason even after drastic injury concerns in the frontcourt, as the team's second-best player (Jalen Johnson) missed 46 games and the Hawks operated without a functional backup center for the final two months of the campaign.
Still, expectations will almost certainly rise for the Hawks in advance of the 2025-26 campaign, particularly after the team's governor, Tony Ressler, elected to dismiss general manager Landry Fields in search of different direction. While trades are a possibility for any team looking to improve its roster, free agency is another potential draw, and that means navigating the always complicated NBA salary cap landscape.
In this space, we'll take a look at where the Hawks stand with regard to the salary cap and luxury tax for 2025-26, keeping in mind that Atlanta has not exceeded the luxury tax line in any season since 2011, well before the current ownership group took the reins.
The nuts and bolts
2025-26 salary cap: $154.6 million
2025-26 luxury tax: $187.9 million
2025-26 first apron: $195.9 million
The Hawks enter this summer with nine players on guaranteed contracts for the 2025-26 season, totaling approximately $142.3 million in salary between them. Those nine players, in descending order of 2025-26 salary, are Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, Terance Mann, Onyeka Okongwu, Zaccharie Risacher, Georges Niang, Dyson Daniels, Kobe Bufkin, and Mo Gueye.
Atlanta also has two more players under team control, with Vit Krejci's $2.35 million contract non-guaranteed until January and Dom Barlow facing a $2.27 million team option for the 2025-26 season. If the Hawks were to keep all 11 players, they would would account for $146.95 million in salary.
From there, the No. 13 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft carries a salary cap hold of approximately $5.15 million, with the cap hold for the No. 22 pick set at approximately $3.37 million. With those two salary slots added to the 11 players mentioned above, the Hawks would have $155.47 million committed to 13 players. That figure also (narrowly) exceeds the salary cap line.
Players hitting free agency
The Hawks have four players hitting free agency that ended the 2024-25 season on standard contracts. Those four players are Clint Capela, Caris LeVert, Larry Nance Jr., and Garrison Mathews. Atlanta has Bird Rights on all four players, so the Hawks could sign any of the four to any legal contract, even if exceeded the salary cap.
Mechanisms to add to the roster without a trade
Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception: $14,105,000
Bi-Annual Exception: $5,135,000
The Hawks can use exceptions to exceed the salary cap, as outlined above. The most powerful tool in this realm is the mid-level exception, which can be up to a four-year commitment that begins at $14.1 million and could be worth more than $60 million over the life of the contract. Atlanta also has the potential use of the bi-annual exception, which is worth up to $5.135 million. Of note, the Hawks can also sign a free agent using the minimum exception, which allows for teams to sign players for the league minimum even if exceeding the salary cap.
Atlanta also has a potentially interesting trade exception created from the Dejounte Murray trade with New Orleans. In short, the Hawks could trade for a player making up to $25.2 million without having to match salary. Of note, this exception can not be used to sign a free agent. It is only valid for use in a trade and it will expire on July 7. The Hawks also have a smaller trade exception ($13.1 million) from the Bogdan Bogdanovic trade that will not expire until February 6.
Finally, the Hawks could conceivably use the "room exception," which is up to $8.78 million for the 2025-26 season. This contract can cover up to three seasons but, crucially, can only be used if the team is operating below the salary cap. That would take some gymnastics for the Hawks, but it's possible.
Two impactful extension negotiations
While neither would change the salary cap landscape for the 2025-26 season specifically, the Hawks will also be spending time this summer negotiating a pair of potential contract extensions. Trae Young is eligible for an extension that could pay him more than $200 million over four years, and 2025-26 is currently the final guaranteed season on his contract. Young does have a $48.97 million player option for the 2026-27 season but, if an extension is not reached this summer, the four-time NBA All-Star could hit the free agent market in the summer of 2026.
The other impactful negotiation centers on 2024-25 NBA Most Improved Player Dyson Daniels. Unlike the situation with Young, the Hawks are not facing a real threat of Daniels getting out the door, as he would be a restricted free agent in 2026 if a rookie-scale extension is not reached. However, he is extension-eligible along with his fellow first round picks in the 2022 NBA Draft, and Daniels could command a lofty salary after his third-year breakout. As with Young, Daniels' extension, if agreed to this summer, would not kick in until the 2026-27 season.