The Atlanta Hawks took a major step towards upgrading the roster in the offseason. After being stuck in play-in purgatory for years, the Hawks revamped the group around Trae Young to build a solid playoff contender in the Eastern Conference.
To make the necessary upgrades, GM Onsi Saleh had to make a few sacrifices. Clint Capela and Larry Nance Jr. will be especially missed as they provided much-needed veteran competence for the team. But not every departed Hawk will have the same impact on the fans,
Terance Mann, who was included in the Kristaps Porzingis trade, will likely not be a big loss for Atlanta next season.
Terance Mann's Absence Will Not Be Felt in Atlanta Next Season
Mann and Georges Niang were used by the Hawks to match salaries in the deal that landed them Porzingis. This meant that Mann's tenure in Atlanta was limited to four months and only 30 games. This is a disappointing development for a player for whom the Hawks gave up fan favorite Bogdan Bogdanovic and three second-round picks at the 2025 trade deadline.
That trade never made sense for the Hawks, who not only gave up the better player in the deal, but also attached draft capital to him. This highlights the front office incompetence of the previous regime in Atlanta, which gave up multiple draft picks to acquire Mann and his player-friendly, three-season, $47 million contract.
To be fair, Mann is a decent bench player. He plays hard, provides defensive intensity, and has some ball skills on the offensive side of the ball. He can also hit shots when left wide open. The problem is that the Hawks already had a much better and cheaper version of that player type in Dyson Daniels. They added another player of the same ilk in Nickeil Alexander-Walker this summer, making Mann even more redundant than he was.
The backcourt rotation in Atlanta will be Trae Young, Alexander-Walker, Daniels, and Luke Kennard, with Kobe Bufkin hoping to see some minutes. There is simply no room for Mann, especially when he is set to make $15.5 million next season. The Hawks are better off without Mann, while the 28-year-old will look to re-establish his career with the Brooklyn Nets.