Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields said he is comfortable with the current roster for the 2024-25 regular season.
Whether or not Fields and his teammates will stick with the group will depend on how they start the season. A rough start could set the stage for more substantial changes later this season at the trade deadline.
There are a few players who stand out as potential trade candidates if the season stagnates.
The Hawks have three deep players at center with Clint Capela, his backup Onyeka Okongwu and backup Cody Zeller. They also have starting power forward Jalen Johnson and his presumed backup Larry Nance Jr., both of whom could play center.
Okongwu begins a four-year, $61.9 million contract while Johnson is set to earn a big payday after his breakout season in 2023-24 and the promise of 2024-25.
Nance and Zeller from the New Orleans Pelicans arrived as part of the Dejounte Murray trade.
Capela, in the final year of a two-year, $46 million contract, could be the go-to guy if the Hawks struggle up front. They kept him in the Murray deal. But they should weigh the risk of him signing elsewhere in 2025 as an unrestricted free agent.
The other issue is potentially overpaying for a consistent player who is averaging a double-double over seven straight seasons but is also limited offensively.
Capela also shot 57.1 percent from the field in 2023-24, the second-lowest mark of his career.
Capela’s name has been mentioned in trade talks in addition to those with the Pelicans. The Hawks have held onto him so far, so it’s not out of the question that he’ll stay regardless of how the season goes.
But there will be interest if he’s healthy when the trade deadline rolls around in February, leaving the Hawks to make the final decision.
