The Atlanta Hawks have enjoyed one of the best offseasons of any team within the NBA after making several additions that will help vault the franchise from the play-in tier of the Eastern Conference to the top half.
While that is the case, the front office appears not to be done making additions now that we've moved into August. One look at the restricted free agent market this summer tells fans all they need to know about how difficult it has been for players in that grouping to find new deals. Despite that being the case, the Hawks are looking to make a move on one of the top young big men on the RFA market that is still available.
According to longtime NBA insider Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.com, Atlanta has agreed to a two-year, $4.5 million offer sheet with Houston Rockets restricted free agent N'Faly Dante.
Just In: The Atlanta Hawks have agreed to a two-year, $4.5 million offer sheet with Houston Rockets two-way restricted free agent N'Faly Dante, league sources told @hoopshype. He averaged 15.1 points on 74.3% shooting, 9.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and 1.0 steals in the G League. pic.twitter.com/PIjcA0q7ip
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) August 16, 2025
Hawks Trying to Poach Rockets' N'Faly Dante to Bolster Frontcourt Depth
Onyeka Okongwu is the man in the middle for Atlanta, with new addition Kristaps Porzingis likely lining up alongside him at the power forward position. While Clint Capela is also part of the frontcourt rotation as a backup center, it is another Rockets big man who has piqued the interest of the Hawks' front office.
As Scotto noted in his post, Dante was a machine for the Rio Grand Valley Vipers during the 2024-25 campaign. It's hard to average roughly 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 2+ blocked shots per game by accident. This move makes perfect sense for Atlanta and also forces the hand of one of their potential rivals in their chase for an NBA Finals championship.
The 24-year-old big man has yet to reach his prime years and looks to have all of the tools a team would want in a center. From rim protection to scoring at an efficient rate and high percentage, Dante can do a bit of everything for Atlanta should his signing go through.
Now, all Hawks fans can do is wait and see what the Rockets elect to do.