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Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks have exercised the third-year contract option for Asa Newell, the team announced today.

Newell has seen action in 47 games (two starts) across two seasons with the Hawks, averaging 5.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 11.2 minutes (.533 FG%). The second-year forward became the sixth-youngest Hawk in franchise history to record a double-double when he tallied 12 points, 10 rebounds (seven offensive) and one assist on Oct. 25, 2025, against Oklahoma City (20 years, 20 days).

The University of Georgia product appeared in 15 games (14 starts) with the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League during the 2025-26 campaign, averaging 22.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 blocks in 32.5 minutes.

Newell, originally drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans with the 23rd&nbsp;overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, had his draft rights acquired by the Hawks on June 25, 2025.

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Atlanta Hawks Exercise Third-Year Contract Option for Asa Newell

Kingston Flemings had an eventful preseason. He played a team-high 112 minutes as the Hawks worked their way to a 4-1 preseason record, and in doing so, he got a number of the necessary repetitions to prepare for what might be a busy regular season.

Those reps matter. The ability to play with speed will help propel Flemings to an NBA career, but at the same time, game speed at the NBA level – and especially at the pace that the Hawks want to play – cannot be duplicated in practice.&nbsp;

"I mean, we've always been playing pretty fast, but when you get in the game, the pace is crazy, you know?" Flemings said. "I've been getting tired some of those times, but it has been a good rotation."

Because any faster sequence of events happens in less time, playing with speed also means that Flemings has to think his way through the game and make his decisions even faster than the average NBA player.

"Recognizing different coverages offensively may be the biggest thing," Head Coach Quin Snyder said, "particularly because he's got a gear offensively, when you're able to play with that burst, those reads can become even more challenging. I think he is really developing an excellent feel for when to use his speed and when to change pace."

Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks, Flemings demonstrated the type of quick decision making that might soon become his hallmark. He used a burst to zip into the paint, then as the help defender rotated over to contest his shot, Flemings fired a pass out to the corner vacated by that help defender. And he delivered it with his left hand&nbsp;right into Aaron Wiggin's shot pocket.&nbsp;

Flemings led the Hawks in the preseason in both total assists (21) and total steals (6, tied with two other players), while only committing 5 turnovers. In his final two preseason games, he had 13 assists and 0 turnovers. 

The first of those two games took place Monday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Flemings made 3 of his 11 shots.&nbsp;

"He didn't shoot the best that he wanted to shoot, and I was just telling him to stick with it," Jalen Johnson said. "Understand that it is the preseason. You get into your spots. You've got 7 assists and 0 turnovers. His pace to the game, his approach to the game has been very, very high level for a rookie. It's good to see that he has gained more confidence as the games go by, as the practices go by, so hopefully that continues on into the season."

Against the Thunder, Flemings made his defensive impact felt. He and center Jock Landale turned the Thunder over three times in the final two minutes of the first half. Flemings pressured the ballhander trying to use a screen, and Landale got his hands on 2 steals while also drawing a moving screen violation on OKC.

"We kind of have a good chemistry going on," Flemings said. "I kind of know what he says.&nbsp;He's a loud talker, so having a big like that who talks a lot definitely helps, and me being a point guard who is trying to be pesky at the point of attack to try to get the turnover, that is what I'm on the court for."

The duo also has side-by-side lockers in the Hawks locker room, and as their chemistry grows even stronger, Hawks fans may be seeing a lot of Landale and Flemings working together off the bench this season.

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Finding His Pace: Kingston Flemings Building a Strong Foundation for the Regular Season

Games 3 and 4 of the WNBA Finals between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream will be played at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, the WNBA announced today.

Game 3, originally scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22, will now be played on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 8:00 p.m. ET and will air on USA Network and CNBC and stream on Peacock.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Game 4 will remain on Saturday, Oct. 24, with tip-off moving to 1:00 p.m. ET from 3:30 p.m. ET. That game will still air on NBC and stream on Peacock.&nbsp;

To accommodate the Dream on Oct. 24, the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks have agreed to move the start time of their regular-season home opener that evening. The Hawks will now host the Houston Rockets at 8:30 p.m. ET instead of 8:00 p.m. ET.

“We are grateful for the efforts made by numerous stakeholders, including the Dream, the Valkyries, the Hawks, State Farm Arena, and NBC Sports and USA Sports,” said Cathy Engelbert, WNBA Commissioner. “The change of venue dramatically expands the seating capacity and ensures that the Dream will be able to provide an extraordinary atmosphere for the first WNBA Finals game to be played in the Atlanta market since 2013. We are pleased that thousands more fans across the Southeast region will have the opportunity to experience the ultimate WNBA action – the WNBA Finals – in person.”

“This is what the players and the fans deserve,” said Larry Gottesdiener, Atlanta Dream majority owner.&nbsp;“We are grateful to all of the stakeholders who worked together to resolve the conflicts and make this happen.”&nbsp;

“We are thrilled that we will be able to accommodate the Dream as they host Games 3 and 4 of the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena. Playing for a championship is special, and we want the Dream to feel the full support of the city during this amazing run,” said Andrew Saltzman, President of Business Enterprise and Chief Commercial Officer of the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena.

The best-of-seven WNBA Finals, which follow a 2-2-1-1-1 format, tip off at Chase Center in San Francisco, where the No. 2-seed Valkyries will host the No. 4-seed Dream in Game 1 on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock and Game 2 on Monday, Oct. 19, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on USA Network, CNBC, and Peacock.

Tickets for Games 3 and 4 of the WNBA Finals will go on sale to the general public Friday, Oct. 16, at 10:00 a.m. ET at&nbsp;atlantadream.com.

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WNBA Finals Games 3 and 4 to Be Played October 21 and October 24 at State Farm Arena

The Atlanta Hawks today announced their 2026 training camp roster, presented by Gatorade.&nbsp;

Asst. Coaches: Bryan Bailey (Bucknell), Mike Brey (George Washington), Steve Klei (Indiana), Antonio Lang (Duke), Jason Love (Xavier), Sanjay Lumpkin (Northwestern), Reggis Onwukamuche (Prairie View A&M), Ryan Schmidt (Western Oregon), Ashton Smith (Indiana University Pennsylvania), Ekpe Udoh (Baylor), Jeff Watkinson (North Carolina State) 

Player Development Coaches:&nbsp;Seth Jackson (Truman State), Kendal Manuel (Montana), Jacob Porter (Morehead State)

VP of Player Health & Performance:&nbsp;Ben Peterson (Northwestern)

Head of Medical: Ryan Donahue (Northeastern)

Head of Performance: Dan Warnke (Wisconsin-Superior)

Head Athletic Trainer: John Dusel (University of New England)

Head of Sports Science: Calvin Torres (CSU, Long Beach)

Director of Integrative Health:&nbsp;Ray Chow (University of Toronto)

Following the team’s annual Media Day on Monday, Sept. 28, the Hawks will head to Vanderbilt University’s Huber Center in Nashville, Tenn. for their 2026 Training Camp, presented by Gatorade. Media planning to attend training camp must RSVP to&nbsp;hawks.pr@hawks.com.

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Atlanta Hawks Announce 2026 Training Camp Roster

The Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta News First (ANF), and Peachtree Sports Network (PSN) today announced the complete on-air broadcast team for their coverage of Atlanta Hawks basketball throughout the 2026-27 NBA season.

Hawks Hall-of-Famer Dominique Wilkins and veteran play-by-play announcer Bob Rathbun return to headline game telecasts, joined by former Hawks guard Brian Oliver. Atlanta News First Sports Director Baillie Burmaster and returning broadcaster Madison Hock will serve as reporters and hosts across pregame, halftime, and postgame programming.

Rathbun returns for his 31st season as the television voice of the Hawks, extending his run as the longest-tenured TV play-by-play announcer in franchise history and the fourth-longest tenured active television announcer in the NBA. A 2025 inductee into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, Rathbun has earned 14 Southeast Regional Emmy Awards, including the 2026 Emmy for outstanding sports play-by-play, alongside eight Sportscaster of the Year honors from the National Sports Media Association.

Alongside Rathbun, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins enters his 19th season as game analyst, while also serving as Hawks Vice President of Basketball and Special Advisor to the CEO. The franchise’s all-time leading scorer (23,292 points), a nine-time NBA All-Star, and a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, Wilkins brings decades of deep franchise ties, community leadership, and Hall of Fame expertise to the broadcast.

Brian Oliver returns for his sixth season on the Hawks broadcast team, serving as a game analyst as well as contributing to pregame, halftime, and postgame shows. A former Hawks guard and Georgia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Oliver was a standout member of Georgia Tech’s famed 1990 Final Four “Lethal Weapon 3” trio and the 1990 ACC Tournament MVP before playing four NBA seasons and 12 seasons internationally.

Madison Hock returns for her second season on the Hawks sidelines, serving as reporter and pregame, halftime, and postgame host. Hock, a former Belmont University basketball player who also covers college football for ESPN and college basketball for FOX Sports, previously handled reporting and hosting roles across FanDuel Sports Network, including the Texas Rangers World Series championship season and regional NBA coverage for the New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs, and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Baillie Burmaster, Sports Director at Atlanta News First since July 2023, joins the broadcast lineup as reporter and host. Burmaster, a former collegiate soccer student-athlete at Oklahoma State who helped lead the Cowgirls to a Big 12 Championship and NCAA Elite Eight appearance, brings extensive sports reporting and play-by-play broadcast experience from major markets across the country.

“We are thrilled to bring Hawks fans an exceptional broadcast lineup that pairs Hall of Fame insight with dynamic, trusted local sports reporting,” said Erik Schrader, Vice President and General Manager of Atlanta News First / WANF-TV. “Bob and Dominique represent the gold standard of NBA storytelling, and adding Baillie and Madison alongside Brian gives our viewers comprehensive, first-class coverage before, during, and after every game.”

Viewers across metro Atlanta and Northern Georgia can watch select Hawks games over the air on Atlanta News First (WANF-TV Channel 46). Viewers across the state of Georgia can watch on Peachtree Sports Network in their designated market; please check local listings.

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Atlanta News First Announces On-Air Broadcast Team for 2026-27 Atlanta Hawks Telecasts

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Hawks Complete Trade with Charlotte Hornets

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Hawks have acquired forward Dorian Finney-Smith from the Charlotte Hornets, in exchange for guards Buddy Hield, Ryan Nembhard, and cash considerations, the team announced today.

Entering his 11th NBA season, Finney-Smith has appeared in 628 games (445 starts), owning averages of 8.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 27.3 minutes of play. Over the course of his career, the undrafted forward has suited up for the Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Houston Rockets. He is one of only four undrafted players in NBA history to amass over 5,000 points (5,032), 2,500 rebounds (2,765), 800 assists (887), and 900 three-pointers (947). 

Acquired by Charlotte on July 6, 2026, from Houston, Finney-Smith spent the 2025-26 campaign with the Rockets, appearing in 37 games and making one start.&nbsp;

Across six postseason runs with Dallas, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and Houston, Finney-Smith has seen action in 44 career playoff games (36 starts), notching 9.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 33.4 minutes, shooting .401% from three-point territory. His .401% playoff clip from deep ranks sixth amongst all active players and fourth all-time amongst all undrafted players, per StatsPass.

The Portsmouth, Virginia, native appeared in 134 collegiate contests (91 starts), with stops at Virginia Tech (2011-12) and Florida (2013-16), averaging 10.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 28.6 minutes. He was named to the All-SEC Second Team twice (2014-15, 2015-16), in addition to earning 2013-14 SEC Sixth Man of the Year honors and a spot on the 2011-12 ACC All-Freshman Team.

Hield was acquired by the Hawks on Feb. 5, 2026, from the Golden State Warriors, along with Jonathan Kuminga, in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis.

Nembhard was acquired by the Hawks on July 19, 2026, from the Dallas Mavericks, as part of a three-team transaction.

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Atlanta Hawks Acquire Dorian Finney-Smith

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Jason Love Named Assistant Coach; Ettore Messina Added as a Coaching Consultant; Sergi Oliva Joins as a Basketball Strategy and Development Advisor

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Hawks today announced the addition of three respected, veteran coaches to Head Coach Quin Snyder’s coaching and development staff. Jason Love has been hired as an assistant coach, European basketball coaching legend Ettore Messina has joined Snyder’s staff as a coaching consultant, and veteran executive and coach Sergi Oliva has been hired as a basketball strategy and development advisor.

Love comes to Atlanta after spending the past two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach/player development. Prior to Milwaukee, Love spent five seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, starting as a player development associate in 2019, before earning promotions to skill development coach in 2021 and assistant coach in 2023. A native of Philadelphia, Pa., Love played college basketball at Xavier University (2006-10) where he holds the record as the Musketeers’ all-time leader in wins (108), later playing professionally overseas for seven seasons.

Messina, one of the most accomplished and respected coaches in European basketball history, returns to the NBA and reunites with Snyder, who served as an assistant under Messina for CSKA Moscow. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he won four EuroLeague championships, capturing titles with Virtus Bologna (1998, 2001) and CSKA Moscow (2006, 2008). He also claimed multiple Italian and Russian league championships, coached the Italian national team to a silver medal at EuroBasket 1997, and earned numerous Coach of the Year honors. In addition to his European resume, Messina has NBA experience as a consultant with the Los Angeles Lakers (2011-12) and as an assistant coach with San Antonio Spurs (2014-19). He is a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame.

Oliva spent the last four seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers as assistant general manager while also serving as head coach of the Rip City Remix of the NBA G League in 2024-25. Previously, he worked as an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz under Snyder for two seasons (2020-22). Prior to that, he spent six years with the Philadelphia 76ers, finishing as vice president of strategy. A native of Gelida, Catalonia, Oliva combines extensive coaching, analytics, and front-office experience, having also spent 12 years as a head coach at the youth and amateur levels in Catalonia. He holds a Ph.D. in Computational Complexity from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.

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Atlanta Hawks Announce Additions to Head Coach Quin Snyder’s Staff

Tim Bontemps Joins Front Office as Strategic Advisor; Maxwell Kupchak Elevated to Director of Cap Strategy & Player Personnel

The Atlanta Hawks today announced&nbsp;that&nbsp;Peter Dinwiddie&nbsp;has been&nbsp;promoted&nbsp;to executive vice president of basketball operations.&nbsp;In addition,&nbsp;Tim Bontemps&nbsp;joins the Hawks as strategic advisor&nbsp;and&nbsp;Maxwell Kupchak&nbsp;has been elevated to the role of director of cap strategy & player personnel.

Dinwiddie joined the Hawks prior to last season as senior vice president of strategy and analytics after working five years with the Philadelphia 76ers as their executive vice president of basketball operations. Before his stint with the Sixers, he spent 14 seasons with the Indiana Pacers, beginning in 2006 in the inside sales department before transitioning to basketball operations. Over his time in Indiana, he served as director of basketball administration, vice president of basketball operations, and senior vice president of basketball operations. The native of Indianapolis, Ind. is a 1999 graduate from Indiana University and a 2004 graduate of the New England School of Law.

Bontemps joins the Hawks’ front office after more than eight years covering the NBA for ESPN, including co-hosting The Hoop Collective podcast. With ESPN, Bontemps focused on team strategy, player movement, and league trends, including both breaking news and deeper reporting on the business of the NBA both on and off the court. Prior to ESPN, he worked for The Washington Post from 2015-18 and the New York Post from 2007-15. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University.

Kupchak, previously coordinator, cap strategy & player personnel, is in his fourth season with the Hawks organization. Prior to Atlanta, Kupchak spent four seasons in the front office of the Charlotte Hornets, where he began as a video room operations assistant before being promoted to a front office basketball assistant, and finally manager of basketball operations and scouts. The Los Angeles native is a graduate of University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was a four-year member of the men’s basketball team, appearing in 97 career games.