The Atlanta Hawks are over thinking the 2018 NBA Draft. Moving back in an effort to pick up assets and select Trae Young would be a serious mistake.
Travis Schlenk is in an interesting position coming into his first draft with the Hawks. He’s inherited a roster that is largely a blank slate, and he’s armed with the No. 3 overall pick. The pressure is on Atlanta to come out of the draft with a franchise cornerstone.
Unfortunately for Hawks fans, Schlenk may be trying to get a little too cute with his strategy. Instead of just standing pat at No. 3 and taking the best player available, the rookie GM is reportedly interested in trading down to accrue more assets. In that event, Atlanta would likely try to select Trae Young with the first round pick they acquire.
It’s unclear just how far down the Hawks are willing to move. Young’s position in the draft is pretty hard to predict at this point. Some mocks have him going as high as No. 3, but there are quite a few pundits who believe he could fall all the way down to No. 12. The Hawks would have to really gain a clear understanding of how far Young might fall to make this deal work.
Atlanta has explored moving back in the draft, with an eye on OU’s Trae Young, league sources told @YahooSports. Hawks have fielded numerous calls for the No. 3 pick.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) June 21, 2018
Atlanta really shouldn’t bother going into deep research about Young’s potential draft status. Unless a team is willing to blow them away with an offer, they should sit tight and make their original pick. The priority for the Hawks must be leaving this draft with one player they can confidently say is going to be a key part of their future.
In particular, Luka Doncic and Jaren Jackson, Jr. would seem to be better fits for the team. Doncic would give Atlanta a talented perimeter playmaker they simply don’t have at the moment. Drafting the Slovenian star would make it very easy for Schlenk and company to evaluate the pieces they currently have. If you can’t score playing alongside an offensive talent like Doncic then you aren’t an NBA scorer.
Jackson Jr. would help the team in an entirely different manner. He could partner with last year’s first-round pick John Collins to build a dynamic frontcourt for the Hawks. He’s a perfect complement for Collins because he does exactly what the former Demon Deacon does not. His perimeter shooting and shot-blocking ability would perfectly cover up Collins’ weaknesses.
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It’s easy to understand why Schlenk would want to add multiple assets considering just how far away the Hawks are from being a playoff contender. He needs to make his first draft more about quality than quantity. Exiting the event with Trae Young as your best addition would be a failure for the Hawks.