Hawks fire general manager Landry Fields

Hawks fire general manager Landry Fields

The Atlanta Hawks have fired general manager Landry Fields, the team announced in a press release on Monday.

For the time being, current assistant general manager Onsi Saleh will replace Fields as the interim until a replacement is found.

“Every offseason we evaluate how we operate and ways we can improve our organization. As we enter this pivotal offseason, we have several complex decisions ahead of us, and we are committed to providing the human and financial resources needed to ensure that we navigate these decisions with a high level of precision and foresight. Adding an accomplished, senior-level leader to provide strategic direction and structure as well as partnering with Onsi and our talented front office is a top priority,” Tony Ressler, the team’s principal owner, said via release.

“I would genuinely like to thank Landry for his leadership during his time with us. Landry made our franchise better and left contributions that have positioned us for growth. I am grateful for his dedication and wish him success in his next endeavor.” 

Fields, 36, became the team’s general manager at the start of the 2022-23 season. Within his time frame as the lead executive, the Hawks traded for Dejounte Murray, hired Quin Snyder as head coach, drafted Zaccharie Risacher No. 1 overall and then traded Murray to New Orleans in exchange for a package headlined by two first-round picks and Dyson Daniels.

His tenure as general manager wasn’t a complete failure, though the team failed to make the playoffs for the third-straight season and their returns for trading Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter in February were fairly mediocre despite clearing future cap space.

Fortunately enough, the next man in charge has a good foundation of young players around Trae Young in Jalen Johnson, Risacher, Daniels and Onyeka Okongwu. The jewels inside the treasure chest could be so much worse. They will also have two top-22 picks this summer, plus one first-rounder in each of the next seven drafts.

Landry Fields: Hawks scouting department ‘crushed it’ finding Dyson Daniels

Who knows what this means for Young, who has two more years left on his deal with a $49.0 million player option in 2026-27. His demeanor in crucial moments over their two play-in games was bad, and hasn’t led Atlanta on any meaningful run outside of the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. Conversations will need to be had at some point, and they could come as soon as this summer.

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