Atlanta Hawks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Igor Kokoskov To Be Named Head Coach Of Anadolu Efes

June 14th, 2025 at 4:08pm CST by Rory Maher

Former NBA head coach Igor Kokoskov, who has been an assistant on Quin Snyder‘s staff with the Hawks the past two seasons, will be returning to Europe to be the new coach of Turkish club Anadolu Efes, according to Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.

Basketball Sphere first reported that Efes was interested in hiring Kokoskov, with Meridian Sport later reporting that a deal between the two sides was being finalized.

A native of Serbia, Kokoskov was the first person born and raised outside of North America to become an NBA head coach, having spent one season (2018/19) at the helm in Phoenix. He was also the first non-American coach on a championship team, Barkas notes, earning the distinction as an assistant with Detroit in 2004.

In addition to his long career as an NBA assistant, the 53-year-old also been the head coach of the national teams of Georgia, Serbia and Slovenia, helping the latter claim a EuroBasket gold in 2017.

Since 2000, Kokoskov has been an assistant with the Clippers, Pistons, Suns, Cavaliers, Jazz, Kings, Mavericks, Nets and Hawks.

Koskokov will replace Luca Bianchi as head coach of Anadolu Efes, which competes in both the EuroLeague and Turkey’s Basketball Super League (BSL).

Draft Workouts: Jazz, Wolves, Kings, Broome

June 12th, 2025 at 5:56pm CST by Rory Maher

The Jazz are hosting a pre-draft workout on Friday featuring Colorado State wing Nique Clifford, North Carolina wing Drake Powell, Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner and Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier, multiple league sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Clifford is the top-ranked prospect of the group, according to ESPN’s big board, coming in at No. 22. Powell (No. 31), Kalkbrenner (No. 33) and Lanier (No. 37) are also viewed as strong bets to be drafted, either late in the first round or early in the second.

Utah currently controls four picks — Nos. 5, 21, 43 and 53 — in June’s draft.

Here are a few more notes regarding pre-draft workouts:

The Timberwolves, who control the 17th and 31st picks, are holding a workout Thursday that includes Asa Newell (Georgia), Jamir Watkins (Florida State), Keshon Gilbert (Iowa State) and Steven Crowl (Wisconsin), reports Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News and SKOR North (via Twitter). Newell, who was invited to the green room, is ranked No. 21 on ESPN’s board, while Watkins is No. 39. The other two players are unranked.
The Kings will be hosting six players for a workout on Friday, the team announced (Twitter link via Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee). The six are Ryan Nembhard of Gonzaga, Curtis Jones of Iowa State, Koby Brea of Kentucky, Kadary Richmond of, Norchad Omier of Baylor, and Vladislav Goldin of Michigan. All six prospects appear on ESPN’s board, ranging from No. 47 (Brea) to No. 95 (Omier). Sacramento currently only controls the 42nd pick, but is rumored to be interested in moving into the first round.
Big man Johni Broome, the 40th-ranked prospect on ESPN’s list, had a workout with the Warriors today, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The former Auburn star said he has previously worked out for the Clippers, Pistons, Hawks, Nets, Raptors and Celtics, and has upcoming workouts scheduled with the Thunder, Timberwolves and Suns, according to Rankin. Golden State controls the 41st pick.

Fischer’s Latest: Celtics, Sixers, Hawks, Capela, Draft

June 12th, 2025 at 3:17pm CST by Rory Maher

While there was speculation around the combine that rival teams would likely seek some sort of assets from Boston along with Kristaps Porzingis ($30.7MM expiring contract) or Jrue Holiday ($104.4MM over the next three years), the Celtics have been operating as though they’re confident those former All-Stars will return positive value on the trade market, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

According to Fischer, the Celtics have given some teams the impression they aren’t in a rush to reduce their projected record-breaking luxury tax bill for 2025/26, and may do so in phases rather than all at once. That could include trading Porzingis for a smaller salary this offseason, and perhaps waiting for the trade deadline next February to make another cost-cutting move.

ESPN’s Shams Charania recently reported that the Celtics won’t be actively looking to move Jaylen Brown or Derrick White this offseason, but they don’t necessarily view either player as untouchable.

Fischer hears Boston would have to have to be blown away to part with White, pointing to Brooklyn’s return for Mikal Bridges as a point of comparison. He also states that Payton Pritchard should be in a similar category of “extremely hard-to-get,” with Boston looking to remain competitive next season despite losing Jayson Tatum to a torn Achilles.

Here’s more from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up:

Confirming a report from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Fischer has also heard the Sixers have spoken to the Spurs about the possibility of moving up from No. 3 to No. 2 in the draft. Fischer also confirms that Philadelphia has zeroed in on four candidates for the third pick, though only two of those prospects — V.J. Edgecombe and Ace Bailey — are currently known. Moving back in the draft remains a possibility as well, Fischer adds.
After reporting that there hasn’t been much chatter about the Hawks combining their two first-round picks (Nos. 13 and 22) in an effort to move up in the draft, Fischer has subsequently heard otherwise from “various sources.” According to Fischer, rival teams believe Atlanta is focused on centers in the draft, with Clint Capela expected to walk in free agency.
There’s an expectation around the league that there could be a rush of trade activity late in the first round and early in the second as teams jockey for prospects, Fischer writes. As Fischer explains, several players projected to be selected in that range wound up returning to college due to multi-million dollar NIL deals, leaving the latter portion of the second round, in particular, somewhat lacking in young talent compared to previous drafts.

Hawks Rumors: Draft, TPE, Turner, LeVert, Front Office

June 12th, 2025 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

Although the Hawks hold a pair of first-round picks at Nos. 13 and 22, there hasn’t been much chatter among league sources about Atlanta exploring the idea of packaging those selections to move up in the draft, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

By contrast, Fischer writes, a few other teams with multiple first-rounders, including Brooklyn (Nos. 8, 19, 26, and 27), Oklahoma City (Nos. 15 and 24), and Orlando (Nos. 16 and 25), are viewed as trade-up candidates.

Still, there’s significant “league-wide curiosity” about the Hawks’ offseason plans for their roster, given that they’re operating well below the luxury tax line and possess multiple sizable traded player exceptions, Fischer writes. According to Fischer, Atlanta is “known to be conducting due diligence” about possible targets that would fit into the $25.3MM exception created in last summer’s Dejounte Murray deal.

That TPE, which would expire if it remains unused through July 7, could be used in a traditional trade or by acquiring a player via sign-and-trade. If it’s used, it would hard-cap Atlanta at the first tax apron for the 2025/26 league year.

Here’s more on the Hawks:

Fischer confirms that Atlanta has had interest in Pacers center Myles Turner, as reported earlier this week. The Hawks had viewed Turner as a player who might make sense as a sign-and-trade target using that $25.3MM trade exception, Fischer explains, though his price might increase beyond that based on his performance during Indiana’s run to the NBA Finals. There has also been no indication that the Pacers, who want to re-sign Turner, would be eager to accommodate a sign-and-trade.
Sources tell Fischer that the Hawks have exhibited a “keen” interest in re-signing Caris LeVert, whom the team acquired from Cleveland in February’s De’Andre Hunter trade. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported that retaining LeVert is expected to be a priority for the team. The 30-year-old guard finished the season strong in Atlanta, averaging 14.9 points per game on 48.2% shooting in 26 appearances off the bench.
While the Hawks say their search for a president of basketball operations hasn’t ended, it’s very possible that their front office additions of Bryson Graham as senior VP of basketball operations and Peter Dinwiddie as senior VP of strategy and analytics will end up being their more significant hires, says Fischer. Even before those additions, the club had a large group of front office executives involved in personnel decisions, according to Fischer, who reiterates that bringing in a senior advisor to complement general manager Onsi Saleh remains a possibility.
In case you missed it on Wednesday, Atlanta reportedly declined the Knicks’ request to speak to Hawks head coach Quin Snyder.

Hawks, Bulls Deny Knicks’ Requests To Talk With Coaches

June 11th, 2025 at 7:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

7:50pm: The Bulls also denied a request from the Knicks to talk to head coach Billy Donovan, according to K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter video link).

6:01pm: The Knicks are now 0-for-4 in their attempts to interview head coaches currently under contract with other teams, as Shams Charania of ESPN reports that the Hawks “firmly denied” their request to speak with Quin Snyder (Twitter link).

Atlanta’s refusal comes after New York was shot down in its overtures to the Rockets’ Ime Udoka, the Timberwolves’ Chris Finch and the Mavericks’ Jason Kidd. Like the Hawks, those teams all refused to grant permission.

Snyder just completed his second full season in Atlanta, guiding the team to a 40-42 record and a loss in the play-in tournament. He’s 86-99 with the Hawks since taking over late in the 2022/23 season.

Snyder built a reputation as an elite coach during his eight seasons in Utah, compiling a 372-264 regular season mark and leading the team to the playoffs in six straight seasons. He coached in the All-Star Game in 2021.

Snyder received a five-year contract when Atlanta hired him in February of 2023. There’s no indication of how the Hawks’ recent front office shakeup will affect his job security, but former general manager Landry Fields offered a strong endorsement before he was fired in April. The decision to turn down the Knicks’ request suggests the Hawks’ stance hasn’t changed.

League sources tell Ian Begley of SNY that the Knicks’ efforts to speak with already-employed head coaches are simply “due diligence” to determine who might be available as the team casts a “wide net” to identify possible candidates. He states that the front office in no hurry to name a replacement for Tom Thibodeau and plans to target numerous former head coaches and current assistants.

Begley adds that the timing of the decision to fire Thibodeau had nothing to do with Johnnie Bryant — a former Knicks assistant and current Cavaliers assistant — being a finalist for the Suns’ head coaching vacancy. Bryant could still be a candidate in New York after Phoenix opted to hire Jordan Ott.

Kings Reportedly Have Interest In Darius Garland

June 10th, 2025 at 9:21am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings, who are in the market for a point guard after trading De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio in February, have interest in Darius Garland and consider the Cavaliers guard a possible trade target, league sources tell Grant Afseth of RG.org.

Following the deadline deal that sent Fox to the Spurs, the Kings leaned more heavily on shooting guards and forwards like Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Malik Monk for ball-handling responsibilities, with reserve point guards like Devin Carter and Markelle Fultz playing limited roles.

Bolstering the point guard spot will be a priority for Sacramento this offseason, as new head of basketball operations Scott Perry acknowledged earlier this spring. Tyus Jones is among the free agents believed to be on the Kings’ radar, but the trade market would give the front office more avenues to acquire an impact player at the position.

Multiple reports since the Cavs’ season ended have indicated that Cleveland appears to be more willing than in the past to entertain the idea of trading Garland this offseason. However, the 25-year-old underwent toe surgery on Monday and is expected to miss some time at the start of next season.

For the Cavs, finding a Garland trade that improves their roster – or at least doesn’t hurt it – while creating a more favorable cap situation going forward was always going to be difficult. His recovery from surgery will make that task even more challenging, since potential trade partners are unlikely to value him quite as highly until he’s back to 100%.

League sources tell RG.org that the Kings and Hawks have also had a conversation about what a Trae Young trade might look like, but those talks didn’t advance. Afseth describes the discussions as “due diligence” from Atlanta’s side and suggests that Perry wasn’t especially enthusiastic about the construct of the deal.

While Young has some fans in Sacramento’s front office, Afseth writes, the team is thought to prefer Garland over the Hawks star, at least prior to Garland’s surgery.

Eastern Notes: Yabusele, Sixers Arena, Hawks, Mazzulla

June 9th, 2025 at 9:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Guerschon Yabusele is “excited” to see how his free agency plays out and plans to remain in the NBA, he told Cyro Asseo de Choch of Hoops Hype. The Sixers big man was one of the few bright spots for the franchise this season after playing in Europe from 2020-24. He posted averages of 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 27.1 minutes per game while appearing in 70 contests.

He’ll be an unrestricted free agent after playing for the veteran’s minimum.

“We will see those options also with the upcoming summer when we’re going to know a little bit what’s going on,” he said. “I know the Sixers are going to look change some pieces in the roster, so you have to wait also to see what’s gonna happen but the draft’s gonna set everything pretty much for every team to know where they’re going with the trades and stuff like that.

“I guess we’ll see soon, but I’m pretty excited. It’s going to be my first time really enjoying free agency, especially in the NBA. I’m pretty excited just to hear the offers, to see what’s going on, to see the movement. This summer is going to have a lot of movement on every team, so to be able to be part of that is just amazing.”

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

The Sixers and Comcast Spectacor have selected an architecture firm to design their new arena, according to Jake Blumgart of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Populous, a global arena design firm, will craft the plans for the new South Philadelphia structure. It’s scheduled to open in 2031, replacing the Wells Fargo Center.
Asa Newell (Georgia), Clifford Omoruyi (Alabama), Will Richard (Florida) and Jase Richardson (Michigan State) were among the players who worked out for the Hawks on Monday, Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Richardson and Newell are considered first-round talents. They are currently ranked No. 20 and 21, respectively, on ESPN’s Best Available list. The Hawks hold the No. 13 and 22 picks in the first round.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has been spotted in Turkey on an apparent scouting mission, Chema de Lucas tweets. Mazzulla could be there to take a look at Euroleague star Nigel Hayes-Davis, who plays for Fenerbahçe and has drawn interest from Boston in the past. Hayes-Davis had a brief stay in the NBA in 2017/18, playing nine games for three teams.

Hawks Among Teams Eyeing Myles Turner

June 9th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to the Pistons, the Hawks are among the teams who have interest in center Myles Turner, reports Grant Afseth of RG.org. Turner, currently vying for a championship with the Pacers, will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Reports in recent weeks have repeatedly indicated that the Pacers and Turner have interest in working out a new deal and that Indiana is willing to become a taxpayer for the first time since 2006 in order to make it happen. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) wrote on Sunday that there’s “strong sentiment” among league executives that Turner will remain in Indiana, with cap strategists projecting a deal in the range of $30MM per year.

However, Afseth says the Hawks are “monitoring Turner’s situation closely,” with their own veteran centers Clint Capela and Larry Nance Jr. headed for unrestricted free agency this offseason.

Even with Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Dyson Daniels wreaking havoc on the perimeter, Atlanta ranked just 18th in defensive rating in 2024/25. The team also came in at No. 18 in three-point percentage. Turner, a big man who can space the floor (.396 3PT% in 2024/25) and protect the rim (2.0 BPG), would be a major asset on both ends of the court.

Still, if the Pacers are committed to retaining Turner and he doesn’t want to go anywhere, it’s hard to envision a scenario in which he ends up in Atlanta. The Hawks don’t project to have cap room this summer, so barring some significant cost-cutting moves, the club would need Indiana’s cooperation to acquire Turner via sign-and-trade, which seems unlikely.

Since the Pacers hold Turner’s Bird rights, they’ll have the ability to offer any amount up to his maximum salary if they’re comfortable paying the associated luxury tax penalties.

Bryson Graham, Peter Dinwiddie Joining Hawks’ Front Office

June 9th, 2025 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks are making two significant additions to their front office, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN. Atlanta is finalizing deals with Pelicans general manager Bryson Graham to become senior vice president of basketball operations and Sixers executive Peter Dinwiddie as senior vice president of strategy and analytics.

Graham, who began his career as an intern with New Orleans in 2010, was promoted to general manager last summer when Trajan Langdon left for Detroit. He was kept in place when new executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars revamped the Pelicans’ management team after taking over in April.

Charania notes that Graham is credited with identifying underrated talents in the draft such as Trey Murphy, Herbert Jones, Yves Missi, Jose Alvarado, Naji Marshall and Jordan Hawkins. He also was on the staff that drafted Dyson Daniels, who captured Most Improved Player honors after being traded from New Orleans to Atlanta last summer.

Dinwiddie came to Philadelphia in 2020 after spending 14 seasons with the Pacers, where he served as senior VP of basketball operations.

The hirings continue an offseason makeover after the Hawks were eliminated in the play-in tournament. General manager Landry Fields was fired in April, with assistant general manager Onsi Saleh being promoted to take his place. According to Charania, Graham and Dinwiddie will both report to Saleh.

The organization is in the midst of a search for a new president of basketball operations, and sources tell Charania that whoever is hired will complement Saleh and the rest of the staff. There have also been rumors that the Hawks may abandon the idea of finding a new president and bring in a senior advisor to work with Saleh.

Southeast Notes: Young, Hornets, Magic, K. Johnson

June 6th, 2025 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

A native of Norman, Oklahoma who played his college ball for the Sooners, Trae Young has some affinity for the local NBA team. However, while the Hawks guard will be rooting for the Thunder in the NBA Finals, he tells Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that seeing Oklahoma City make a serious run at a title really just makes him more determined to take his own team to those same heights.

“It’s even more motivating for me,” Young said on Wednesday at a sponsor event. “I want to win a championship bad. But the fact that it’s in my city and I’m just watching it now, if you thought I wanted it bad before, it’s even worse now. … Hopefully we’re here playing the Thunder next year, and I’m not having this (event) here in OKC. So, we have this party there in Atlanta. I love Atlanta.”

The Hawks have missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons and haven’t won more than 43 games in a season since Young was drafted in 2018, but the star guard remains optimistic about the franchise’s direction.

“We had the No. 1 pick (Zaccharie Risacher) last year that made strides and almost won Rookie of the Year, got second,” Young said. “We have a lot of young, young, really good players. We have a great coach. We have a lot of stuff, and we have a big summer ahead, for sure.”

We have more from around the Southeast:

Dylan Cardwell (Auburn), Steven Crowl (Wisconsin), Chucky Hepburn (Louisville), and Jalon Moore (Oklahoma) visited the Hornets for a pre-draft workout earlier this week, while Obinna Anochili-Killen (Marshall), Eric Dixon (Villanova), Kobe Johnson (UCLA), and Julian Reese (Maryland) auditioned for the team on Thursday, reports Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter links). Charlotte controls the fourth, 33rd, and 34th overall picks in this year’s draft. Among those prospects, Dixon is the highest-rated on ESPN’s big board at No. 45.
Keith Smith of Spotrac and Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) both previewed the Magic‘s offseason this week, discussing Paolo Banchero‘s upcoming rookie scale extension, looking at Orlando’s rising payroll, and considering how the team might use its multiple first-round picks (No. 16 and No. 25) in this year’s draft.
Although he played limited minutes in just 16 NBA games as a rookie in 2024/25, Heat forward Keshad Johnson feels he has “grown mentally” since entering the league, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “I’ve learned a lot about basketball, Xs and Os,” said Johnson, who played well for the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the G League. “Just being in the NBA, at first it started off fast. But it started to slow down as time got going. Just getting comfortable. Skill-wise, I feel like the mental aspect of learning cheat codes and things like that.” The Heat hold a minimum-salary team option on Johnson for the 2025/26 season and must exercise or decline that option by June 29.