We’re roughly a month away from training camp starting around the NBA, as teams will be getting back into the flow of things as they begin a new journey this season. For now, fans are still trying to enjoy what’s left of the offseason, and the schedule release a few weeks ago gave them some excitement.
The Atlanta Hawks have some interesting matchups that fans should look out for this season, and here are a few that could be enticing to mark on the calendar.
Oct. 21 vs. Orlando Magic
Not only is this the season opener, but
this is against a team that has basically rivaled the Hawks over the past two seasons. It all started two years ago when the Magic injured Vit Krejci and Larry Nance Jr. in the same game, and from there, the mayhem began. The Magic defeated the Hawks in the play-in tournament that year, but last season, they got their revenge.
The Hawks swept the Magic last season, but they also injured another key player on the team, Jock Landale, who ultimately missed the remainder of the season and the playoffs because of it. There’s no doubt there’s still some hate brewing between these two teams.
Nov. 6 vs. Washington Wizards
The Hawks would have played the Wizards a few days before this, but this one holds more weight. First, it’s the start of the NBA Cup games, which means these matchups mean a little more. Second, this will be the official return of Trae Young playing against his former team. Young already received his video tribute last season after he was traded, but he wasn’t playing due to injury.
The Wizards should be coming into this season fully healthy, and Young is going to want to put on a show against the team that drafted him in 2018.
Nov. 18 @ Oklahoma City Thunder
This will be a return for Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins after they were traded from the Thunder this offseason. They helped the Thunder win their championship two seasons ago and there’s a good chance they’ll be getting their video tributes in this game.
This is also a game where the Hawks match up against one of the better teams in the Western Conference. They’ve played them close on the road for two straight seasons but haven’t been able to get the win in the end, and it would be big if they could walk out with a victory this time.
Nov. 29 @ New York Knicks
The first time the Hawks see the Knicks since the first round of the playoffs should be special, and it comes two days after Thanksgiving. The Knicks didn’t make many changes to their roster over the offseason, so the Hawks should know this team pretty well after seeing them several times the past season.
Dec. 27 @ San Antonio Spurs
This is also another game where the Hawks have come close on the road the past two seasons but haven’t been able to walk out with the win. The Spurs should once again be a top team in the Western Conference this season, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they were better this year.
This game comes at the end of the calendar year, and it would be big for the Hawks to close out 2026 strong against a really good team.
Jan. 4 vs. Philadelphia 76ers
This will be the second time in the season when the Hawks will face the 76ers, and the one and only time at home. It’ll be interesting to see how the 76ers look by this point, but it will also be interesting to see how the Hawks have fared throughout the first few months of the season.
This game will be the second to start the year 2027, and just like the Hawks should want to end 2026 strong against the Spurs, they should want to do the same against the 76ers when the calendar flips.
Feb. 8 vs. Miami Heat
This game comes days before the trade deadline, and there’s no telling what has already happened by this time. Depending on where the Hawks stand, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see if they had made a move or two to improve the team. At the same time, there is a chance they wait until the actual deadline day to make a deal, and a win or loss around this moment could change a lot.
Feb. 26 @ Toronto Raptors
This could be a random game near the end of February, but it could also mean a lot to the Hawks. It was no secret that they struggled against the Raptors last season, and it could be big if they could turn that tide this season.
Mar. 29 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
This game could absolutely have no importance for the Hawks internally, but fans are always excited when the Timberwolves come into town, and it’s because of Anthony Edwards. The hometown player will be coming toward the end of the season, and it’ll be interesting to see how they’ve done over the course of the season after the moves they made this offseason.
As for some Hawks fans, they’re still holding out hope that Edwards finds his way on the Hawks soon.
Apr. 11 @ Cleveland Cavaliers
The last game of the season always comes with some sort of playoff implications, and with how deep the Eastern Conference is supposed to be this season, it wouldn’t be a surprise that a lot of things were determined on this day. To make things even better, the Hawks will playing a team that is supposed to be in the Eastern Conference gauntlet, and this game could mean a lot too them as well.
Either these two teams are fighting for positioning by this time, or they’re resting their starters.
