Pre-Draft Outlook
The Hawks have arrived at a bit of a crossroads. After using the last three seasons to stockpile Draft picks and build a base, they regressed in a handful of areas last season and some of their young players didn’t develop as expected. Therefore, the Hawks must decide whether to stick to this movement and use their picks or package them with a rotational player and chase an established veteran in a trade. They’ll likely weigh the market value of every roster player except All-Star guard Trae Young, and must also make a decision on De’Andre Hunter (who is extension-eligible).
A Stat That Matters
1 — The Hawks were the only team that ranked in the top five on one end of the floor (second in offensive efficiency) and in the bottom five on the other end (26th in defensive efficiency).
The Way To Go
The Hawks are flush with young players at every position, so there’s no pressing need to add to that mix. That said, if they choose to keep the pick, it’ll be hard to skip Tari Eason, a 6-foot-8 wing from LSU. Eason showed keen defensive instincts in college — he averaged 1.9 steals per game last season — and that’s exactly the element the Hawks crave. He’s also very active and aggressive in looking for his shot (16.9 points per game in 2021-22) and could be a decent match next to the playmaking of Young.
Under Contract
G: Bogdan Bogdanovic
G: Trae Young
G/F: Kevin Huerter
F/G: De’Andre Hunter
F: Chaundee Brown Jr.
F: Danilo Gallinari
F/C: John Collins
F/C: Onyeka Okongwu
C: Clint Capela
Free Agents
G: Sharife Cooper (restricted)
G: Skylar Mays (restricted)
G: Lou Williams (unrestricted)
G: Delon Wright (unrestricted)
G/F: Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (unrestricted)
F: Kevin Knox II (restricted)
C: Gorgui Dieng (unrestricted)
> 2022 Free Agent Tracker
Last Year’s Draft
2021: Jalen Johnson (20), Sharife Cooper (48)
— Shaun Powell