August 19, 2026
Bill Streicher/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Tyrese Maxey and Jalen Johnson engaged in an epic duel in Philadelphia last season.
After acquiring Jaylen Brown and LeBron James in the same offseason, Sixers President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey has set his new team up to be a full-blown championship contender.
The only problem: Ahead of the 2026-27 season, the Eastern Conference is shaping up to be as competitive as ever.
Over the next two weeks, PhillyVoice will be examining the 10 teams in the Eastern Conference which pose the greatest threats to James, Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and the Sixers.
Up next: the Atlanta Hawks, a thorn in the Sixers' side last year with improved depth heading into 2026-27. Atlanta did not make any major swings this summer, but added multiple proven contributors to bolster their rotation.
How far can Jalen Johnson lead the Hawks?
SCOUTING THE SIXERS' COMPETITION
Washington Wizards | Orlando Magic | Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta preempted free agency by retaining its two highest-priority free agents, CJ McCollum, and eventually re-signing Jock Landale, a breakout backup center for the Hawks late last season. They appear likely to let Jonathan Kuminga depart after his brief trial run in Atlanta, in part because the Hawks swung deals to acquire former Oklahoma City Thunder wings Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins.
They have not added any stars to their ranks, but the Hawks have bolstered their depth in a major way:
| Added | Retained | Lost |
| Lu Dort | CJ McCollum | Zaccharie Risacher |
| Aaron Wiggins | Jock Landale | Jonathan Kuminga* |
| Kingston Flemings | Gabe Vincent | |
| Devin Carter | Keaton Wallace | |
| Zuby Ejiofor | Tony Bradley | |
| Ryan Nembhard | ||
| Henri Veesaar |
Between a flurry of offseason acquisitions and three draft picks signed to standard contracts, the Hawks have 17 players on their roster as of this writing. They will have to clear two roster spots at some point, even after jettisoning former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher as part of the deal to land Dort.
SIXERS FILM STUDIES
Jaylen Brown's strengths | Jaylen Brown's weaknesses
Anfernee Simons | Dean Wade | Ariel Hukporti
Atlanta appears to have a rock-solid top nine in its rotation with McCollum, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kingston Flemings in the backcourt, plus wings in Johnson, Dort and Wiggins, supported by Onyeka Okongwu and Landale in the middle:
| PG | SG | SF | PF | C |
| CJ McCollum | Dyson Daniels | Lu Dort | Jalen Johnson | Onyeka Okongwu |
| Kingston Flemings | Nickeil Alexander-Walker | Aaron Wiggins | Asa Newell | Jock Landale |
| Ryan Nembhard | Buddy Hield | Corey Kispert | Zuby Ejiofor | Henri Veesaar |
| Devin Carter | Mo Gueye |
But the Hawks have other players more than capable of contributing, whether it be veteran sharpshooters Buddy Hield and Corey Kispert or young bigs like Asa Newell, Zuby Ejiofor and Mo Gueye. Head coach Quin Snyder will certainly make the most of his optionality.
The most obvious question facing Snyder: Which three of McCollum, Daniels, Alexander-Walker and Dort will start in front of Johnson and Okongwu? The three holdovers did just fine in those roles last year; McCollum was a big-time clutch scorer, Daniels was a defensive ace and Alexander-Walker's massive offensive leap in addition to his defensive acumen earned him Most Improved Player honors.
For now, the guess here is that Dort, as much of an off-ball role player as one could imagine, will slot into the starting five to add some more traditional size. Any of the three guards could come off the bench in theory, but perhaps Alexander-Walker can aim for the Sixth Man of the Year Award this time around.
Given their depth and available draft picks, the Hawks are absolutely candidates to make a major trade during the season if they see an opportunity to push chips in. But pivoting the team away from Trae Young in favor of Johnson worked out very well; continuing that work gradually may be Atlanta's best bet in a crowded conference.
MORE: On top of star-studded lineup, Sixers finally valuing back-end roster spots
The only member of the Hawks with experience playing for the Sixers is Hield, whose few months in Philadelphia were eventful during the 2023-24 season. Hield is one of the most important mentors in the basketball life of VJ Edgecombe; the two gregarious guards have teamed together in international competition on behalf of The Bahamas.
SIXERS SIGN LEBRON JAMES
James' decision | Projecting Sixers' rotation | James' impact, on and off the court
