The Hawks already made the hard emotional move. Trae Young is gone, and the roster now has a different shape. This is Jalen Johnson’s team first, with Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, Jonathan Kuminga, and other pieces around him. That isn’t the same offensive identity as the old Hawks. It is bigger, more balanced, more defensive, but also less simple in late-clock offense.
The season was still a good step. The Hawks finished 46-36 and made the playoffs as the No. 6 seed. They ranked sixth in points per game at 118.5 and played fast with a 101.7 pace, fifth in the league. The defense was better than the old version, with a 113.7 defensive rating, ninth in the NBA. But the half-court scoring still needs help after the Young trade.
That is why this free agency class should be about useful players, not fantasy names. The Hawks can’t chase max-contract stars. They need guards who can score without killing the system, wings who can shoot, and find stronger bench minutes.
Here are five unrestricted free agents the Hawks should target in the 2026 offseason.
5. Simone Fontecchio
Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
A cheap wing who can shoot is never a bad starting point for this roster. Simone Fontecchio isn’t a high-usage player, but that is part of the appeal. The Hawks already have Johnson, Kuminga, Daniels, and maybe McCollum or another guard taking creation reps. They need more players who can space the floor without asking for many touches.
Fontecchio finished the season with 8.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 22.1 minutes per game for the Heat. He shot 41.2% from the field and has been a 36.7% three-point shooter for his career on 4.1 attempts per game. That fits a bench unit that needs simple offense: catch, shoot, relocate, defend bigger wings, and don’t stop the ball.
The money is the good part. Fontecchio’s last contract was a two-year, $16.0 million deal, and his 2025-26 salary was $8.3 million. The Hawks should look at something around two years, $18.0 million. That is enough to be serious, but not enough to hurt flexibility if Zaccharie Risacher takes a jump or if Corey Kispert becomes a bigger part of the rotation.
The Hawks were already sixth in points per game, so Fontecchio wouldn’t be signed to change the whole offense. He would be signed to protect spacing in bench lineups. That is important because Johnson works best with space to attack closeouts and pass on the move. Okongwu also needs corners filled when he rolls or attacks short rolls.
This isn’t a loud move, but it is the type of move playoff teams need. Fontecchio gives the Hawks a low-maintenance forward who can help the offense stay organized when the main creators sit.
4. CJ McCollum
Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
A veteran guard who already proved he can help this version of the Hawks should stay on the board. The Hawks traded Trae Young and still finished 46-36, taking the Knicks to six games in the first round. CJ McCollum was a big part of that stabilizing stretch because he gave them half-court scoring without turning the offense into only one player holding the ball.
The playoff series against the Knicks is the main argument. McCollum opened with 26 points in Game 1, then had 32 points, six assists, three rebounds, two steals, and one block in the Game 2 win. In Game 3, he added 23 points and hit the go-ahead midrange jumper with 12.7 seconds left. That gave the Hawks a 2-1 series lead and made the Knicks work more than most people expected at the start of the series.
His regular-season production after the trade also fits the idea. McCollum put up 18.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 41 games with the Hawks, while shooting 45.6% from the field and 35.7% from three. That isn’t elite efficiency, but it is enough shot creation for a team that no longer has Young taking 25 pick-and-roll possessions every night.
The contract has to come down. McCollum made $30.7 million in 2025-26 on the last year of his two-year, $64.0 million deal. The Hawks shouldn’t go close to that number again. A fair offer would be one year, $18.0 million, or two years, $34.0 million if they want more stability. He is 34, so the deal has to respect the age curve.
For the Hawks, this would be more about recent chemistry. Jalen Johnson needs guards who can shoot, make reads, and calm ugly possessions. Dyson Daniels gives them defense. McCollum gives them late-clock offense. That combination already worked enough to make a postseason run.
3. Collin Sexton
Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
A bench scorer with better efficiency than reputation would help the Hawks a lot. Collin Sexton has always been seen as a scoring guard first, and that part is still true. But the shooting is strong enough to make him more than just a volume guy.
Sexton put up 15.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.1 steals in 23.7 minutes per game this season. He shot 48.5% from the field, 40.1% from three, and 85.5% from the line. His 61.5% true shooting was better than many other starting guards this season. That makes him interesting. He can score without needing 17 shots.
The contract should be careful. Sexton’s last deal was a four-year, $71.0 million contract, and he made $19.0 million in 2025-26. The Hawks shouldn’t go too high. A fair offer would be three years, $45.0 million, maybe with the third year not fully guaranteed. That gives him good money but keeps the Hawks away from a bad long-term guard contract.
The Hawks need this kind of pressure because they no longer have Young breaking down the defense every trip. Johnson can create, but he isn’t a small guard who bends pick-and-roll coverages 30 times per game. Daniels is better as a defender, connector, and transition player. Sexton gives the Hawks a different speed. He gets downhill, draws fouls, and can play next to bigger guards because he shoots well enough off the ball.
The defensive concern is fair. Sexton is 6-foot-3 and won’t fix playoff size. But the Hawks have Daniels for the toughest guard matchup. That makes Sexton easier to hide. If the Hawks use him as a sixth man more than as a starter, the value is strong.
This would be a practical scoring move, not a franchise-changing one.
2. Anfernee Simons
Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
A shooting combo guard who can create threes off the dribble still has value, even after a down season. Anfernee Simons didn’t have his best year, but the skill set is still useful for the Hawks because they need more self-created jump shooting.
Simons finished with 14.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 24.9 minutes per game between the Celtics and Bulls. He shot 44.0% from the field, 38.5% from three, and 89.6% from the line. His 57.6% true shooting was solid, and the shot profile is the key: 6.9 three-point attempts per game in under 25 minutes. That is serious volume.
The last contract was big. Simons made $27.7 million in 2025-26. The next deal should be lower because his role got smaller, and his defense remains a concern. The Hawks should think around two years, $36.0 million, or three years, $54.0 million, if the final year has protection. That is still starter-level money, but not star money.
The basketball reason is clear. The Hawks need late-clock shooting. Johnson can attack mismatches and pass. Okongwu can finish, short roll, and defend. Daniels can guard elite perimeter players. But someone still has to hit pull-up threes, attack closeouts, and punish bench units. Simons does that.
The defensive part is the issue. Simons isn’t going to help the Hawks on the perimeter. That means the Hawks would need to play him with Daniels often. That pairing makes more sense than Simons next to another small guard because Daniels can cover the top assignment and let Simons focus on scoring.
This is not risk-free. But the price could be much better than it was two years ago. For a post-Young Hawks team, that is the type of buy-low guard market worth studying.
1. Coby White
Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
The best target is the guard who gives the Hawks the cleanest mix of age, scoring, shooting, and secondary playmaking. Coby White isn’t a superstar, but he is young enough, productive enough, and proven enough to be the strongest name in this range.
White had 17.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 25.0 minutes per game this season between the Bulls and Hornets. He shot 44.6% from the field, 36.2% from three, and 81.7% from the line. His 59.5% true shooting was strong for a guard taking 12.5 shots per game, and his 28.8% usage rate shows he can handle real offensive volume.
The contract is the big question. White just finished a three-year, $36.0 million deal and made $12.9 million in 2025-26. That contract became a bargain once he proved he could score 17 to 20 points per game. The Hawks would probably need to offer something like four years, $88.0 million or four years, $96.0 million. That is a real investment, but still below the price of a max guard.
White fits the Hawks because he can play with or without the ball. That part is important. If Johnson is initiating, White can space from the wing. If the second unit needs offense, White can run pick-and-roll. If Daniels is on the floor, White can take the tougher scoring job while Daniels handles the harder defensive job.
This is also about age. White is 26, not 33. He can be part of the next Hawks window instead of just a one-year patch. The Hawks have young pieces, two first-round picks in the 2026 draft, and a roster that already made the playoffs without Young. White fits that timeline better than a short-term veteran.
The concern is defense. White isn’t a stopper, and the Hawks already have guards who need coverage help. But Daniels changes that calculation. He gives the Hawks one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, so they can afford one scoring guard if the offense improves.
White should be the top target because he gives the Hawks something they need badly after Young: a real guard scorer who can still grow with the group.
