Draft Outlook
Thanks to a few years of solid drafting by GM Travis Schlenk, the Hawks have one of the finer young talent bases in the NBA. Actually, that’s their strength and why they’re a team on the rise. Trae Young has point guard on lockdown and there are shooters in Kevin Huerter, Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter. Cam Reddish is another young talent but injuries have held him back. The Hawks could use some help at power forward, given the uncertainty surrounding John Collins, a restricted free agent who didn’t jump at an extension offer in the range of $20 million a season. Last year’s top pick, Onyeka Okongwu, did show some promise at the position but remains more of a project.
A Stat That Matters
+9.6 — The Hawks were the league’s second most improved team, both in regard to winning percentage (+0.271) and point differential per 100 possessions (+9.6), topped only by Golden State in both cases.
The Way To Go
With the 20th pick, the Hawks are drafting lower than the last few years; such is the life of a playoff team. A good name would be Sharife Cooper, a 6-foot-1 guard from Auburn. He only played 12 games and is small, but quick and sees the floor. He can be an ideal backup and change-of-pace point guard to Young, and he averaged 20.2 points and 8.1 assists per game. However, he will need to improve his jumper especially from deep. Depending on whether they want to keep Collins, the Hawks might also seek a power forward. Because the Hawks have a surplus of youth, they can also package the pick in a trade with an existing player and swing for the fences by obtaining a veteran star.
Under Contract
G: Bogdan Bogdanovic
G: Trae Young
G/F: Kevin Huerter
G/F: De’Andre Hunter
G/F: Cam Reddish
F: Danilo Gallinari
F/C: Bruno Fernando
F/C: Onyeka Okongwu
C: Clint Capela
Free Agents
G: Kris Dunn (player option)
G: Brandon Goodwin (restricted)
G: Skylar Mays (restricted)
G: Tony Snell (unrestricted)
G: Lou Williams (unrestricted)
F: Solomon Hill (unrestricted)
F/C: John Collins (restricted)
F/C: Nathan Knight (restricted)
> 2021 Free Agent Tracker
Last Year’s Draft
2020: Onyeka Okongwu (6), Skylar Mays (50)
— Shaun Powell