Hawks Facing Big Decisions As NBA Draft, Trade Season Loom

June 3, 2024

The Atlanta Hawks control the entire 2024 NBA Draft and that is not up for debate. It’s just what happens when you own the No. 1 overall pick.

What the Hawks decide to do with it, of course, is anyone’s guess.

“The Hawks have several assets that they could consider attaching to the No. 1 pick,” wrote Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Should they decide to stand pat, they could find a few players at the top of the draft that have skill sets that could address some of the team’s needs.”

ESPN has French small forward Zaccharie Risacher ranked as the top prospect on its list of the top 100. But at just 19 years old, he could be a few years away from making an impact. In fact, that’s the feeling about most of the players in this month’s draft.

Of course, the Hawks could have a very different look next season, anyway.

“There is no set direction for them,” NBA insider Michael Scotto said on the HoopsHype podcast. “What I would say, is that the clear, assumed direction I would say around the league is that Dejounte Murray or Trae Young probably won’t be there next year. That is the widespread belief around the league.”

Atlanta finished 36-46 and made the play-in tournament, but was eliminated quickly. Still, there’s a sense that the Hawks are just a really good move — and perhaps a draft pick — away from really good things. Now, it’s up to GM Landry Fields and his team to figure it out.

And when it comes to the NBA this offseason, there’s plenty to figure out.

“Time will tell which teams are interested in, whether it’s Dejounte Murray or Trae Young. But they’ve got to figure that out sooner than later,” Scotto said of the Hawks. “Because now you hear the chatter about Darius Garland, is it going to be Donovan Mitchell, like one of those two guys in Cleveland won’t be there? So that adds to the guard market if you’re a team looking to make a move.

“And so you’ve got to factor all this in if you’re the Atlanta Hawks, and they’ve got other stuff to figure out — Saddiq Bey’s restricted free agency. So there are plenty of items on the docket for Atlanta to figure out and shape their direction.”