Nickeil Alexander-Walker is thriving with the Atlanta Hawks, enjoying a career-best season.
The Hawks have taken flight in 2025-26 due to the play of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who joined the team in the offseason.
Coach Snyder’s Vision
Atlanta Hawks coach Quin Snyder saw a higher ceiling for Nickeil Alexander-Walker than the player himself realised.
Alexander-Walker said that Snyder envisioned him averaging 20 points, contributing more as a playmaker, and providing strong defence. “He saw a ceiling higher for myself than I did,” Alexander-Walker said.
Snyder’s belief in him was a new experience for Alexander-Walker: “And that was really cool for me because I felt like in my career I’ve never had that before.”
Impactful Free Agency Signing
Alexander-Walker joined the Hawks last summer in free agency. He is having the best season of his career and has helped the Hawks to a 42-33 record.
He is also making a compelling case for 2025-26 Kia Most Improved Player and is one of the most impactful free agents from the summer of 2025.
Alexander-Walker, cousin of Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has doubled his scoring from 9.4 points per game with the Minnesota Timberwolves last season to 20.4 ppg this season in just eight more minutes per game.
- Shooting 45% from the field.
- Shooting 39.1% on 3-pointers.
- Boosted his free-throw shooting percentage (90.1%).
- Doubled his steals (1.3 spg).
Alexander-Walker has also doubled his 3s made per game (from 1.7 to 3.1).
“He sees me as a person who can do more than what I was doing,” Alexander-Walker said. “And that’s something that was very important to me: Could they see the potential through what I was only able to show them through my role?”
From Draft Pick to Atlanta Standout
Alexander-Walker was drafted No. 17 by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2019 NBA Draft. He was then traded to the Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz at the 2022 trade deadline and spent a brief time with Snyder in Utah.
The Timberwolves acquired Alexander-Walker from Utah at the 2023 trade deadline. He was vital to Minnesota’s run to the Western Conference Finals in 2024 and 2025.
On Timberwolves squads that included Anthony Edwards and either Julius Randle or Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota didn’t need him to score 20 points often.
There were games for the Timberwolves when his offense was necessary, and he showed he could do it, scoring 23 points on 9-for-15 shooting against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of the West Finals.
Alexander-Walker describes his role with the Timberwolves as “corner 3, get to the paint, eyes out, defend.” He thrived in that role, making him a priority for several teams in free agency last summer.
Listed as a guard at 6-foot-5, Alexander-Walker settled into his role as a 3-and-D wing and blossomed.
Alexander-Walker has found a basketball home in Atlanta and is thriving with a career-best season, too.