The Atlanta Hawks are finalizing a deal to acquire guard Aaron Wiggins from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for two future second-round draft picks, adding a proven role player and championship contributor to a roster the franchise has been actively reshaping this offseason.
Atlanta will send its own second-round selection in 2030 and the less favorable of its or the Los Angeles Lakers’ second-round pick in 2032 to Oklahoma City in the deal. The trade serves a meaningful financial purpose for the Thunder as well, reducing their projected luxury tax bill from approximately $213 million to $152 million, a savings of $61 million. Oklahoma City will also free a roster spot in the process, leaving the team with 14 players under contract.
What Wiggins brings to Atlanta
Wiggins, 27, arrives with championship experience and a track record of contributing in a winning environment. During Oklahoma City’s title-winning season in 2024-25, he averaged 12 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in 23 minutes of regular-season action. His postseason numbers were more limited in a deeper rotation, but his presence on a championship squad gives him a competitive baseline that Atlanta can build on.
Last season he averaged 9.4 points across 65 appearances including 21 starts, demonstrating durability and the capacity to contribute in a starting role when called upon. At 6-foot-5, he offers size and versatility at the guard position that fits Atlanta’s evolving identity.
The Hawks have been building steadily around a young core and have shown a willingness to acquire players who have underperformed their potential and benefited from a larger opportunity. Wiggins fits that pattern. He was selected 55th overall in the 2021 draft and has carved out a meaningful NBA career without ever having a team structure that featured him prominently in the offensive scheme.
A Sunday full of moves for Atlanta
The Wiggins acquisition was not the only significant transaction Atlanta completed on Sunday. The team also reached an agreement on a one-year, $21 million contract extension with guard CJ McCollum, keeping him in the fold for another season. McCollum arrived in Atlanta via trade earlier this year and his retention gives the backcourt further experience and scoring reliability alongside the younger pieces the organization has been accumulating.
The broader context for Atlanta’s activity is a roster that is taking shape with several interesting players acquired over the past twelve months. A guard added last summer delivered career-high scoring numbers and earned the Most Improved Player award. A forward acquired before the trade deadline from Golden State averaged strong numbers in limited time after seeking a bigger role than he had in the Bay Area. The Hawks hold a team option on that player’s contract that must be exercised by the end of the month.
Draft picks and next steps
Atlanta enters the upcoming draft holding the eighth and 23rd selections, giving the franchise meaningful leverage to either add young talent directly or use the picks as trade assets. The Thunder hold picks 12 and 17, and while their roster situation has been significantly simplified by the Wiggins deal, they remain one of the league’s most structurally sound organizations heading into the offseason.
For Atlanta, a team that pushed the eventual champion New York Knicks to three games in the first round before falling, the offseason moves reflect an organization that believes its window is opening rather than closing.
