After a second straight play-in exit, Atlanta promoted Onsi Saleh to be their new general manager, and he quickly got to work, trading for Kristaps Porzingis at the Boston Celtics' fire sale and acquiring both Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard in free agency. These moves, combined with a savvy draft night swap with the New Orleans Pelicans that could net Atlanta a high lottery pick next year, had many declaring the Hawks as one of the big winners of the NBA summer.

However, that doesn't mean that Atlanta isn't setting its sights even higher moving forward.

Recently, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, who figures to do a lot of the heavy lifting for Boston this year with Jayson Tatum out of the lineup, stopped by Atlanta's V-103 radio station and was asked by host Big Tigger, also the Hawks' in-arena public address announcer, whether or not Brown may eventually suit up for his native Atlanta one day.

"You never know," said Brown, via Zach Langley on X, formerly Twitter. "...I think my grandma would (like to see me play for the Hawks). You never know, we'll see."

Brown grew up just north of Atlanta and attended Wheeler High School, where he established himself as one of the best young players in the country in the mid-2010s. Since then, he has gone on to become an NBA champion and Finals MVP for the Celtics, who not too long ago looked to be on the cusp of a potential dynasty.

However, in the last five months, the Celtics have watched their ultra-talented roster disintegrate in the wake of their shocking second round playoff loss to the New York Knicks. This change was spurred on by the fact that Tatum will likely miss all of this upcoming season, likely removing the Celtics from real contention in 2025-2026.

This being the case, it's not outside the realm of possibility that an upcoming team like the Hawks could come in and try to put together a trade package for Brown, who may not be thrilled about the prospect of a retooling year in Boston. Brown's connections to the city of Atlanta could only strengthen Saleh's case for the Hawks as a potential landing spot.

Still, for now, the Hawks' attention is likely on the roster they already have assembled, which figures to be the best of point guard Trae Young's career. Fans have long pined for Atlanta to surround Young with lengthy wing defenders who can knock down open shots, as well as a rim protector who can wall off the paint. The Hawks now have both of those things after their summer additions, and figure to see additional offensive improvement from young players like Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, and former number one overall pick Zaccharie Risacher heading into next season.

This, combined with the fact that the Eastern Conference is severely weakened due to injuries, could make 2025-26 the year that the Hawks finally break their play-in game curse and win a playoff series for the first time since 2021's shocking run to the Eastern Conference Finals.