Pre-Draft Outlook
The Hawks, holders of the No. 1 overall pick, find themselves in the zone — the no-man’s zone, where they’re too talented to fall to the bottom, but lacking the necessary pieces to solidify themselves in the upper half of the league. This puts the team in a philosophical bind. Should they swap out one of their foundational guards, Trae Young or Dejounte Murray, and reload around the top pick? What complicates matters is the Hawks still owe two future first-rounders (2025, ’27) and a 2026 pick swap to the Spurs for the Murray trade in 2022.
The Way To Go
There are two choices — keep the top pick in a Draft that lacks superstar buzz, or trade down and develop a new identity. The Hawks are unlikely to do the latter because teams rarely dare to trade from the top spot. The smart money is Alex Sarr, the multi-functional 7-foot-1 Frenchman who could be dangerous in the pick and roll with Young. Sarr isn’t nearly as promising as his countryman Victor Wembanyama, but the Hawks were a year late on that.
— Shaun Powell
Here’s a quick look at Atlanta’s current roster entering the Draft:
Under Contract
G: Bogdan Bogdanovic
G: Kobe Bufkin
G: Dejounte Murray
G: Trae Young
F/G: De’Andre Hunter
F: AJ Griffin
F: Mouhamed Gueye
F: Jalen Johnson
F/C: Onyeka Okongwu
Free Agents
G Trent Forrest
G: Vit Krejci
G: Garrison Mathews
G: Wesley Matthews
G/F: Saddiq Bey
G/F: Seth Lundy
G/F: Dylan Windler
> 2024 Free Agent Tracker
Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum reveals the top 4 picks at the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery presented by State Farm.