The Hawks have already been mentioned in multiple trade scenarios leading up to Wednesday’s NBA draft.
However, that doesn’t mean they’ll actually go through with a trade — in fact, there’s a good chance they’ll stay put at No. 6, general manager Travis Schlenk said Monday.
“We feel real comfortable at 6, and that’s why I think it’s probably very likely we stay there,” Schlenk said. “We feel like we’re going to get a good player that’s going to fit well with our group.”
He added that the most likely scenario was staying where they are at No. 6, the least likely scenario is trading up, and ranked moving down as somewhere in the middle.
This is an intriguing draft, as there’s no consensus No. 1 pick, however, Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman and LaMelo Ball are routinely listed in the top 3. With those prospects almost guaranteed to be off the board by the time the Hawks pick, the draft essentially begins at No. 4 with who the Bulls decide to pick, per Schlenk (the Cavaliers pick fifth).
“I think we feel pretty good at the top few spots; at least, maybe not who’s going where, but what players are going,” Schlenk said. “I think this draft kind of starts around No. 4 for us with Chicago. And what they’re going to do. But to say there’s more or less uncertainty, I guess, again, it’s just because there’s not the clear-cut ‘This guys is the No. 1 pick,’ right? You look at three different mock drafts and you probably see three different names up there. But it’s the same three names, just a matter of where they are. So I think that’s maybe where the perception of uncertainty comes from.”
In various mock drafts, players such as Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Deni Avdija, Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton, USC’s Onyeka Okongwu, Auburn’s Isaac Okoro, Florida State’s Devin Vassell, Dayton’s Obi Toppin and Ulm’s Killian Hayes are expected to be some of the next names off the board, though trades could always mix that up.
Schlenk maintains his strategy of drafting the best player available, but will consider how a certain prospect would fit in with the Hawks' roster when considering players with the same talent level.
When it comes to team needs, Schlenk pointed to 3-point percentage and defense as areas the Hawks must improve in moving forward. Last season, the Hawks were dead-last in 3-point shooting (33.3%) and had the third-worst defensive rating in the league (114.4).
“I think that comes into play if we view the players as the same caliber,” Schlenk said. “If we don’t see a large gap in talent; we think players roughly are on the same level on the talent page, then you might start looking at fit and who’s the best fit for your team. But if they’re on different tiers talent-wise, that’s going to win every time.”
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Hawks' pre-draft process was much more limited this year. Outside of 10 players whose in-person workouts they could watch, they mostly had to rely on a combination of Zoom interviews, workout videos and players' previous film.
Still, Schlenk said he feels comfortable heading into the draft. He added they’ll likely keep their No. 50 pick, as well.
“In 100 percent candor... I think we’re going to pick sixth, and we’re going to sit around and look at each other until we get to pick 50, and then we’re going to pick 50 and call it a night,” Schlenk said.
As far as the sheer number of picks, this is a much calmer draft for the Hawks, which may make it more likely for them to hold onto No. 50.
“In those cases where we’ve (parted with second-round picks in a deal for future picks), we’ve taken two or three guys in the first round and it’s not really ideal to add four rookies to your roster,” Schlenk said. “This year, only having the one first-round pick, I wouldn’t say that we wouldn’t trade for a future pick at 50, but I would say that there’s a group of guys that we’re comfortable with at 50, whether that would be somebody that we roster or somebody that we look to put on a two-way contract.”
