Hawks Hire ESPN Reporter Tim Bontemps to Front Office amid 2026 NBA Free Agency

Longtime NBA writer Tim Bontemps is making a career pivot.

ESPN colleagues Tim MacMahon and Brian Windhorst reported Wednesday he's leaving the company to become a strategic adviser for the Atlanta Hawks. Bontemps confirmed his departure on social media:

Bontemps previously worked at the Washington Post before getting hired by ESPN in 2018. MacMahon and Windhorst noted his work "focused on team strategy, player movement and league trends."

Bontemps' MVP straw polls also became a highly anticipated staple of the NBA season. The results were typically a strong indicator of how the balloting would unfold.

The Hawks are embarking on their first full season without Trae Young, who had been their cornerstone talent almost from the moment he arrived in 2018.

Atlanta managed to win 46 games and reach the playoffs even after trading Young ahead of the February deadline. Rather than make any big additions, the front office is counting on continued improvement from Dyson Daniels and Jalen Johnson. First-round pick Kingston Flemings is effectively the long-term replacement for Young at point guard as well.

The challenge for the Hawks front office, which now includes Bontemps, moving forward will be identifying the veterans who will help elevate the franchise to the next level when that time comes.