The Hawks tried to move up in Thursday’s NBA Draft.
A “very hard” effort, as it was described by several people in the team’s draft room, ultimately proved unsuccessful. The Hawks had the assets of two first-round picks, Nos. 12 and 21, and two second-round picks, Nos. 44 and 54. It wasn’t enough for Buddy Hield, who the Pelicans took at No. 6. It also wasn’t enough for Domantas Sabonis, who went to the Magic at No. 11 and then had his draft rights traded to the Thunder. Both players were high on the Hawks’ wish list.
That does not mean the Hawks had a bad draft. Time will tell on such matters.
The Hawks obtained Baylor forward Taurean Prince (12) and St. Joseph’s forward DeAndre’ Bembry (21) in the first round and French guard Isaia Cordinier (44) in the second round. The Hawks sold their final pick to the Cavaliers for $2.5 million as available roster spots became a concern.
“In our view, it was a deep mid-rotation player draft,” Hawks general manager Wes Wilcox said. “We are always thinking about how players may fit together. That’s kind of the way the Hawks play. We just try to make sure we are putting five guys on the court that complement each other. When we went into this draft, we were very aware of that. Ultimately when we are done, we think we have picked guys who not only complement each other but fit the system well.”
Prince, 6-foot-8, 220 pounds, played four seasons at Baylor. As a senior, the 22-year-old averaged 15.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 30.6 minutes in 34 games. Bembry (6-6, 210) was an early-entry candidate after three seasons at St. Joseph’s. As a junior the 22-year-old averaged 17.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 37.3 minutes in 36 games.
Kent Bazemore remains a “priority” for the Hawks despite the fact the team selected the two wing players, according to Wilcox.
Bazemore, the starting small forward last season, will become an unrestricted free agent July 1. Hawks officials have said they would like to re-sign Bazemore, who will be due a significant pay raise after his first season as a starter.
“I will say Kent Bazemore is absolutely a Hawks priority,” Wilcox said. “We love Kent. He is a huge part of what we do. I don’t think there should be any confusion as to how important Kent is to us.”
The Hawks tried to move up and down at various points in the second round. Cordinier, a 6-4, 180-pound 19-year-old, will remain in France at least one more season to continue his development. Wilcox said that was a determining factor in possible selections.
The Hawks will introduce Bembry at a news conference next week. The team can neither introduce nor comment on Prince until after the trade is finalized next month.
The Hawks still have holes following the draft. They dealt starting point guard Jeff Teague to the Pacers and received the No. 12 pick from the Jazz in a three-team draft that will be finalized after the NBA moratorium ends July 7. Dennis Schroder remains the only true point guard on the roster. The Hawks will have to address that need via the free-agent or trade markets.
“We are always looking for opportunities to learn and grow and improve and study past drafts,” Wilcox said of Thursday’s draft. “At the same time, we are confident in the work that we’ve done and the time we’ve put into this.”
The work continues.
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