The Atlanta Hawks' 2025-26 roster is starting to come together as the NBA offseason continues to unfold. Head coach Quin Snyder's projected lineup is already featuring a handful of new faces, ranging from Kristaps Porzingis to rookie Asa Newell, making it interesting to see if the summertime moves will look as good on the floor as they do on paper.
Although the Hawks' roster looks much better compared to last year, there's still room for further additions. As of July, Atlanta only has 13 players signed to standard NBA contracts, according to Spotrac, meaning general manager Onsi Saleh still has room to add two more veteran presences.
While the Hawks could wait until closer to the regular season to fill those voids, it's in the team's best interest to use a spot on a certain veteran free agent.
Hawks Must Use One of Final Roster Spots to Sign De'Anthony Melton
If the Hawks want to add a low-risk, high-reward veteran to the mix, De'Anthony Melton could be their guy. The former 2018 second-round selection is looking for a cheap 'prove-yourself' contract after suiting up only six times last season due to a partially torn ACL.
Even though a full recovery is far from guaranteed, signing Melton is a risk that Atlanta should take.
After all, the ex-USC Trojan is a solid 3-and-D contributor when healthy. In 356 games (148) starts spread across four franchises, Melton has averaged 9.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.4 steals while averaging 1.5 threes per game on 36.9% shooting. He also has 27 games of postseason experience under his belt, which could prove to be valuable for the Hawks both on and off the floor.
Even though he's coming off a significant injury, it's worth noting that Melton played well in a small sample size last season. The North Hollywood, CA native put up a respectable 10.3 PPG while shooting 40.7% from the field and 37.1% from the three-point line, all while also averaging 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 steals on 20.2 minutes of action per night.
If he can pick up from where he left off pre-injury, Melton would be a terrific addition to the upgrades the Hawks have made so far. Nickeil Alexander-Walker's signing already improved Atlanta's defense, and adding another reliable defender to the backcourt could allow Trae Young to take even more offensive risks.
At the end of the day, the Hawks have nothing to lose by rolling the dice on Melton. If he doesn't work out, it isn't a big deal because a failed veteran minimum contract is hardly the end of the world. If things do pan out, though, and he turns back the clock, the Hawks could be an even bigger threat in the Eastern Conference.
For that alone, GM Saleh should give Melton's agent a call.