Hawks Promote, Extend Onsi Saleh

1:19 pm: The Hawks have officially confirmed in a press release that Saleh is now the team’s president of basketball operations and has signed a “long-term” contract extension.

“Onsi possesses a rare combination of valuable leadership qualities and a clear vision that will position our franchise to compete at a championship level. He is a gifted communicator and talent evaluator, widely respected by his peers within the NBA community,” team owner Tony Ressler said in a statement. “He has already demonstrated a level of decisiveness and acumen that has changed the trajectory of our organization, and we are delighted to have him lead our basketball operations for a very long time.”

1:17 pm: The Hawks are promoting general manager Onsi Saleh, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Saleh’s new title will be president of basketball operations. He’ll also receive a contract extension, Charania adds.

Saleh, who had been working in Golden State as the Warriors’ VP of basketball strategy and team counsel, was initially hired by Atlanta in 2024 as an assistant general manager. He was elevated to the GM role last April after the Hawks fired head of basketball operations Landry Fields.

Saleh has been running the Hawks’ front office since last spring, so the promotion to president of basketball operations likely won’t materially change his job description. However, it figures to come with a raise and will solidify his place atop the team’s basketball operations department. It also opens the door for the team to potentially hire a GM down the road to take on some of the day-to-day responsibilities that Saleh currently handles.

Saleh finished second in Executive of the Year voting this spring after a very solid first year on the job. He landed 2026 Most Improved Player Nickeil Alexander-Walker on a four-year, $60MM deal in free agency last offseason, signed 2025 Most Improved Player Dyson Daniels to a four-year, $100MM rookie scale extension, and negotiated a draft-night trade that moved the Hawks down from No. 13 to No. 23 in last year’s draft while netting them this year’s eighth overall pick.

Saleh also acted aggressively on the trade market during the season, sending Trae Young to Washington in January for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert and then landing Jonathan Kuminga in a deal with Golden State. The newcomers helped Atlanta finish the season strong and earn the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks won 20 of their last 26 regular season games.

As Charania notes (via Twitter), Saleh and the Hawks are well-positioned to continue adding to a core headlined by Jalen Johnson, Alexander-Walker, Daniels, and Onyeka Okongwu, armed with extra draft assets and a good deal of long-term cap flexibility.