Although Hawks didn’t make any major splashes in the 2026 offseason, president of basketball operations Onsi Saleh believes that the team has become better, writes Ken Sugiura of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Speaking at a pre-campaign media session on Friday, Saleh said improving fitness is a priority for the squad going into the 2026/27 season.
“We saw the physicality in the playoffs and we needed to improve that a little bit.” Saleh said, referring to the acquisition of the defensive ace Lugentz is there as one step that will help in this regard. “We’re talking about a guy who has guarded some of the best players in the NBA (and is arguably one of, if not the best) isolation defenders in the league.”
While Saleh and the Hawks’ front office are optimistic about Dort’s ability to make an impact on the court, the veteran performer believes having such a battle-tested veteran in the lineup will also help other players on the roster improve between games.
“Sometimes your (player development) program is often very dependent on the players you bring in,” Saleh said. “If the guy likes it Jalen Johnson going up against a guy like Lou Dort in practice, Jalen will be a lot better.”
Both Dort and his newcomer colleague Aaron Wiggins were members of the Thunder team that won the 2025 NBA title Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitutionhead coach Quinn Snyder told the media on Monday that he expects the addition of a pair of players with championship experience to be a big positive for the club.
“I think to add players with championship-level pedigree first is a great addition in itself.” Snyder said. “Of course, when you have that, you fundamentally understand the importance of defense and collective defense.”
We have more from the Southeast:
- Despite being the top pick in this year’s draft and joining a Wizards a team that has not won more than 18 games in any of the last three seasons, A. Ya. Dybants doesn’t feel the burden of leading a franchise turnaround, he explained at a media conference Monday. “I feel like there’s not a lot of pressure on me because I have such a great team around me.” Dibanza said, trans Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “A lot of No. 1 picks get into a situation where they’re the ‘guy’ (and) everything kind of centers around them. But I have Hall of Famers on my team that I can (learn from) and get some knowledge from.” Chris Middleton, Trey Young(Anthony Davis), and Deandre Ayton. So I don’t have to come and carry this huge load. I think I can just bond with these guys and learn it slowly and learn to play the right way.”
- U separate story for The AthleticRobbins argues that Wizards are one of the NBA’s most compelling teams as they look to return to playoff contention with a combination of young players on rookie contracts and veterans with multiple All-Star appearances on their resumes.
- The magic It is technically possible to add a 15th man to their roster for the regular season, but that would further increase their projected taxes and push their team salary into the second tax bracket. Speaking to reporters on Monday, including Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinelpresident of basketball operations Jeff Veltman suggested the team isn’t looking to take that 15th spot in the short term. “We have very little flexibility right now,” Veltman said. “So we value that 15th roster spot. … We have an opportunity to sign a player, but I don’t think right now we’re in a rush to just put a player in the lineup for the sake of it. We want to see what the team looks like. Obviously (the 15th roster spot) is kind of an insurance policy for us against any injuries. So, no immediate plans on that.”
- Nikola Vuchevich started 957 games and came off the bench just 79 times in his NBA career, but the 35-year-old confirmed on Monday that he is ready to take on a more modest role in his second game with magic, according to Bide. “I think for most players eventually it’s a natural path to transition a little bit,” – said Vucevych. “And I think there’s a lot of ways I can still help even in a smaller role, obviously with my experience. I think the way I play is what this team needs and I can help with that. But also off the court, talking to the guys, helping (them) through the ups and downs of the year, helping them with their approach to the game, things like that.”
