Hawks 2025 Offseason Thread

[Jamaaliver]

Center: Okongwu -- Porzingis -- Nance, Jr.
Power Forward: Jalen -- Murray-Boyles -- Mo Gueye


^Solid front court rotation right there...

All I remember from CMB

Spoiler:

Read on Twitter

YIKES.

Yeah...shooting the basketball is certainly NOT CMB's forte.

Read on Twitter

[jayu70]

Center: Okongwu -- Porzingis -- Nance, Jr.
Power Forward: Jalen -- Murray-Boyles -- Mo Gueye


^Solid front court rotation right there...

All I remember from CMB

Spoiler:

Read on Twitter

YIKES.

Yeah...shooting the basketball is certainly NOT CMB's forte.

Read on Twitter

6'-6" PF.
Selll me on him

[Geaux_Hawks]

All I remember from CMB

Spoiler:

Read on Twitter

YIKES.

Yeah...shooting the basketball is certainly NOT CMB's forte.

Read on Twitter

6'-6" PF.
Selll me on him

If you didn't have any stock invested in him before knowing he was a brick mason, there's really nothing to sell in terms of making him a lottery pick as a 6'6 PF.

[Rebound Mound]

Uff, I still cannot believe we got Porzingis.
His signing takes us to a completely different level and we are going to be probably the only team in the league with two centres who are quite mobile, who shoot from 3 and also share the court. Porzingis could even give us an edge or some kind of leverage when confronting those teams with tall young centres such as Memphis, San Antonio, Portland, etc.

As for the other selection in the draft, I would ever go with a 6-6 PF, which always proved to be bad options in the league. I guess we have other needs, although my priority would be to select the BPA.

[HMFFL]

Hawks interested in a sign-and-trade for Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Word is that the Hawks, at roughly $30 million below the luxury-tax line, are expected to register interest in a sign-and-trade deal with Minnesota to try to acquire Nickeil Alexander-Walker. – via marcstein.substack.com

https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-latest-nba-trade-talk-free-agency-dc5

[Rebound Mound]

Hawks interested in a sign-and-trade for Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Word is that the Hawks, at roughly $30 million below the luxury-tax line, are expected to register interest in a sign-and-trade deal with Minnesota to try to acquire Nickeil Alexander-Walker. – via marcstein.substack.com

https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-latest-nba-trade-talk-free-agency-dc5

Uau, it seems like the owners are management are aligned to really create a solid roster for next year, although that could mean we are not going to renew LeVert...

[Jamaaliver]

Yeah...shooting the basketball is certainly NOT CMB's forte.

6'-6" PF.

Sell me on him

If you didn't have any stock invested in him before knowing he was a brick mason, there's really nothing to sell in terms of making him a lottery pick as a 6'6 PF.

Spoiler:

Collin Murray-Boyles | Forward | South Carolina

Watch on YouTube

Height: 6' 8"
Weight: 245
Age: 19
Sophomore

Comparisons:

• Draymond Green - CMB’s defense makes him the most worthy of a Draymond comp in my 13 years covering the draft.
  
• Paul Millsap - A solid, versatile backup who became an All-Star once he developed a 3 like CMB needs to.
  
• Julius Randle - The way CMB looks handling and driving resembles Randle. Hopefully he passes more.

STRENGTHS
Versatile defense: One of the best defenders to enter the draft in recent years. While he’s not the most vertical athlete, few players possess his blend of intellect, strength, hustle, foot speed, length, and coordination. He has a thick, big-bodied frame with a long wingspan well over 7 feet that he uses to smother opponents across positions as a highly switchable defender.

Hand-eye coordination: With amazingly quick hands and reaction time, he seems to get a finger on the ball every time an opponent drives, ruining their rhythm or forcing a turnover. He also has immaculate timing for contesting shots at the rim, with a tendency to swat layups away as if he’s spiking a volleyball.

High defensive IQ: On top of the highlight moments, he has a strong feel for snuffing out opponent actions with positioning, steals, and deflections. His team is better any time he’s in the game: South Carolina was 12.1 points per 100 possessions better on defense with Murray-Boyles on the floor, which CBB Analytics data logs as one of the largest differentials in the nation.

Rebounding: Tenacious on the boards using his strength, and a nose for the ball to grab contested rebounds, both on the offensive and defensive glass.

Post playmaking hub: Displays the feel to make good decisions and accurate passes from all areas and angles on the floor, whether from down low, at the elbows, or in the middle of the floor against zone. As a willing screener, he would make for a great short-roll playmaker in the NBA, especially if he's paired with a dynamic guard.

Interior scoring: With brute strength to muscle through defenders, he also displays smooth footwork and the aptitude to contort himself for skilled finishes. He has soft touch on his hook shots and layups. He could also be used to beat mismatches from the post. But he’ll primarily play off others, rolling off screens, cutting when he sees an opening, and attacking the glass for second chances.

CONCERNS
Shooting: Currently a liability from outside, and he wasn't a good shooter in high school, either. So, it’s purely a bet on touch that he figures out that part of his game because the results have not come yet from the field or from the line.

Tweener size: Fit will matter significantly since he is not especially tall or explosive, and hasn’t proven he can shoot. And this matters on defense, since he isn’t large enough to be a full-time defender against bigs and isn’t a traditional rim protector.

Yahoo Sports

LOL

CMB has been hailed as the best defender in this draft class.
He's 6'7' with shoes but at 240 pounds as a teenager, he was one of the toughest, strongest front court players in the NCAAs the last couple of seasons.

He's built like Bam Adebayo.
He defends like Draymond Green.
He bullies weaker players in the paint like a young Julius Randle.

He likely tops out somewhere between PJ Washington and Paul Millsap. He's the kind of player who gets into the rotation and averages 14 points-7 rebounds-3 assists-2 blocks and a steal while playing Dyson Daniels levels of defense.

If you like tough, bruising, switchable defenders who can create their own offense -- you'll like watching CMB.

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[Jamaaliver]

6'-6" PF.

Sell me on him

there's really nothing to sell in terms of making him a lottery pick as a 6'6 PF.

I would [n]ever go with a 6-6 PF, which always proved to be bad options in the league.

Collin Murray-Boyles profiles in the same vein of player as Paul Millsap, PJ Washington and Draymond.
Strong, blue collar guys who play tough team defense and fill up the stat sheet. (He's even built like those guys.)

And FTR, he's an inch shorter than #1 Overall Pick Cooper Flagg -- while being 20 pounds heavier and playing the exact same position.

Spoiler:

Read on Twitter

[Geaux_Hawks]

6'-6" PF.

Sell me on him

If you didn't have any stock invested in him before knowing he was a brick mason, there's really nothing to sell in terms of making him a lottery pick as a 6'6 PF.

LOL

CMB has been hailed as the best defender in this draft class.
He's 6'7' with shoes but at 240 pounds as a teenager, he was one of the toughest, strongest front court players in the NCAAs the last couple of seasons.

I think that's the issue here. A lot of CMB's draft stock comes from him being simply bigger and stronger than most guys in the NCAA. Often times, college seniors don't even see 240 pounds at the age of 22-23. Even with such an advantage, CMB doesn't really dominate as a defender.

For example, a common comparison to him is Draymond Green. Draymond was a defensive unit in college. Elite intangibles everywhere. His IQ was insane. Anticipation was probably 2nd to none as a defender. Constantly communicating and coordinating the defense while on the floor. Even as a sophomore, Green was a nightmare for offenses. When you look at CMB, you don't get those same vibes. You just see a guy who's bullying smaller opponents, which is forcing bad passes.

So yes, he may appear to be the best defender in the class, but i'm not convinced he has a Draymond Green like impact in the NBA.

He's built like Bam Adebayo.
He defends like Draymond Green.
He bullies weaker players in the paint like a young Julius Randle.

He likely tops out somewhere between PJ Washington and Paul Millsap.

If you like tough, bruising, switchable defenders who can create their own offense -- you'll like watching CMB.

Which brings me here. CMB doesn't do nearly enough of what these guys do respectfully at a high enough level. You see the flashes here and there, but nothing too spectacular.

He's nowhere close to Bam. I've already mentioned his defense in comparison to Dray. Randle had a lot more in his bag than CMB, while also showing some actual range. Again, for a lottery pick, there's not a lot to sell for CMB, considering he's a 6'7ish PF with no jumper or elite bounce. If you're taking him in the 20's, then maybe you can convince yourself he could develop one day into one of the names mentioned above. The PJ Washington floor, really seems more so the ceiling for him.

[Jamaaliver]

Spoiler:

Read on Twitter

[Jamaaliver]

I think that's the issue here. A lot of CMB's draft stock comes from him being simply bigger and stronger than most guys in the NCAA. Often times, college seniors don't even see 240 pounds at the age of 22-23. Even with such an advantage, CMB doesn't really dominate as a defender.

He's nowhere close to Bam. I've already mentioned his defense in comparison to Dray. Randle had a lot more in his bag than CMB, while also showing some actual range. Again, for a lottery pick, there's not a lot to sell for CMB, considering he's a 6'7ish PF with no jumper or elite bounce. If you're taking him in the 20's, then maybe you can convince yourself he could develop one day into one of the names mentioned above. The PJ Washington floor, really seems more so the ceiling for him.

Noted.

I'm really excited to see how it all plays out.

I see a tough as nails enforcer and stat sheet filler.
An efficient scorer and bruising defender.
The PF version of Okongwu...

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[Jamaaliver]

Spoiler:

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[Jamaaliver]

Read on Twitter

[Rebound Mound]

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This canno be true.
We have such a nice roster now... What would be the point of ruining it by trading assets and picks for a player who is old, in bad health and in a terrible contract?

[Jamaaliver]

Read on Twitter

This canno be true.
We have such a nice roster now... What would be the point of ruining it by trading assets and picks for a player who is old, in bad health and in a terrible contract?

I have NOT seen it corroborated anywhere else. I'm pretty skeptical at this point.

(I regret even posting it now.)

[HMFFL]

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[Jamaaliver]

Read on Twitter

That's rough...

[tbhawksfan1]

#13 for #23 and NO / MIL unprotected 2026 FRP is a HUGE move. Talk of the league move.

As of right now I'll predict that pick to have a higher chance of being top 5 than top 10 and almost zero chance of being outside the lottery

[jayu70]

Where we stand post draft:
11 Players with a contract (*partial guarantee/non guaranteed/TO):

Trae Young $45.9
Kristaps Pirzingas $30.7
Jalen Johnson $30
Onyeka Okongwu $15
Zaccharie Risacher $13.1
Dyson Daniels $7.7
Kobe Bufkin $4.5
Asa Newell $2.6
*Vit Krecji $2.3
*Mohammed Gueye $2.2
*Dominick Barlow $ 2.2

PG - Trae, Kobe
SG - DD, Vit
SF - Zacc
PF - JJ, MoG, Asa
C - OO, KP, Barlow

TOTAL $156.6 mil
~$30.6 mil under the LT to spend

[Geaux_Hawks]

Where we stand post draft:
11 Players with a contract (*partial guarantee/non guaranteed/TO):

Trae Young $45.9
Kristaps Pirzingas $30.7
Jalen Johnson $30
Onyeka Okongwu $15
Zaccharie Risacher $13.1
Dyson Daniels $7.7
Kobe Bufkin $4.5
Asa Newell $2.6
*Vit Krecji $2.3
*Mohammed Gueye $2.2
*Dominick Barlow $ 2.2

PG - Trae, Kobe
SG - DD, Vit
SF - Zacc
PF - JJ, MoG, Asa
C - OO, KP, Barlow

TOTAL $156.6 mil
~$30.6 mil under the LT to spend

Any idea on what NAW would cost us? Would have to think he will now be priority #1 so we can get the most out of our TPE. After that, re-sign Levert and Nance.