Brad Rowland wrote:Hawks quietly hold ammo for a draft-night lottery leapThe Hawks have two first round picks, might the team package them together?
At this juncture, there remains a great deal of uncertainty as to who will be executing the front office moves for the Hawks but, with the team's young core already in place, many observers are asking the same question.
Could the Hawks put No. 13 and No. 22 together and move up the board?
[T]his is a reasonable hypothetical, as some other NBA teams could be interested in turning one single pick into multiple "swings." Of course, the same could be said for Atlanta when taking a look at the draft through a more analytical lens, but the Hawks do have an established young core that could perhaps benefit more if the team were to hit on a single prospect who could reach lofty heights.
How high could No. 13 and No. 22 take them?Recent history provides an interesting window into similar, though not identical, trades in the NBA Draft. In 2013, the No. 14 and No. 21 picks were packaged to move up to No. 9 overall. In 2014, the No. 16 and No. 19 picks came together to land the No. 11 selection. In 2016, a package headlined by the No. 13 and No. 28 picks (plus more) moved for the No. 8 pick. And in 2017, the No. 15 and No. 20 picks were traded for No. 10 overall.
Obviously, things can change and there is no established trade chart that every team must follow. After all, it only takes one team to buy what the Hawks are selling. Still, it is instructive to see that, at least in the modern draft era, a deal involving only the No. 13 and No. 22 picks probably isn't taking you into the upper half of the lottery.
Some potential trade-up optionsThe list below is not exhaustive, but it encompasses some theoreticals that would make sense for Atlanta if the player they covet were to fall into a reasonable range.
Duke center Khaman Maluach - There is a (very) large portion of the Hawks fan base that salivates at the thought of a center with a "seven" at the beginning of his listed height. Maluach certainly checks that box, and he profiles as a potentially impactful defensive anchor at the next level. He is a tremendous shot blocker, and Maluach is an archetype of player that Atlanta simply doesn't have right now. At the same time, he is not a dominant defensive rebounder, and Maluach's offensive game could certainly be described as a work in progress.
Texas wing Tre Johnson - Johnson is perhaps the least likely of this trio to fall into Atlanta's trade-up range, but he is a high-upside offensive wing. Johnson's shooting prowess would be appetizing and, with the consensus pointing to Atlanta needing more offensive juice on the perimeter, Johnson would help.
Duke wing Kon Knueppel - Knueppel has athletic questions that could push him down the board for some, but he also checks the "dribble, pass, shoot" box that teams covet from wing players. While he shot nearly 41 percent from 3-point range, Knueppel is more than a specialist, consistently working his way to paint, flashing passing chops, and showcasing intriguing strength and physicality. Because of the athletic limitaitons, though, there are questions about his defensive projection at the NBA level.
An interesting draft classThere are differing views on the 2025 draft class. While it is universally seen as superior overall to the 2024 group, a lot of that leap comes from the mere presence of Cooper Flagg and, to a lesser extent, Dylan Harper. After the top two, the gaps between the second and third tiers may not be massive. In theory, that would make a trade-up scenario less exciting but, as noted earlier, the sentiment of "it only takes one" can extend to both trade partners and prospects.
The long-term NBA Draft math would point to simply making the two picks and playing the odds, simply because drafting is an inexact science. Frankly, everyone is worse at the process of identifying and selecting draft prospects than they want to be, so giving a team more chances is, in a vacuum, the cleanest process. Of course, that is not how the practical world works, and if there is a player that Atlanta's new president of basketball operations identifies as "the guy," a trade-up could certainly happen.
