The Atlanta Hawks have named Onsi Saleh their new general manager following the firing of Landry Fields the team announced on Monday.
“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,” principal owner Tony Ressler said in statement after announcing Fields’ departure. “I am grateful for his dedication and wish him success in his next endeavor.”
The club is now in search of a senior level official to join the team’s front office, presumably in a director of basketball operations role.
“Every offseason we evaluate how we operate and ways we can improve our organization,” Ressler said. “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.”
Atlanta went 40-42 in 2024-25, ultimately bowing out in the play-in tournament to the Miami Heat. Saleh joined the Hawks a year following three seasons with the Golden State Warriors in the role of vice president of basketball strategy and team counsel. Prior to that he spent five years with the San Antonio Spurs as the team’s director of strategy and process.
Saleh will now inherit a team high on talent, but low in playoff victories since their impromptu run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2021. Trae Young and Jalen Johnson figure to play prominent roles for the team moving forward, as will Zaccharie Risacher who the team took with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The French forward averaged 12.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in 75 games (73 starts) during his rookie campaign.
The new GM and the rest of the Hawks front office will now turn their attention to the NBA Combine and draft lottery, set for the week of May 11-18th.
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.