2019 NBA Mock Draft: Murray State’s Ja Morant is rising
125. . F. Virginia. De'Andre Hunter. 5. player
The trade deadline next month could turn Atlanta’s roster almost all the way over, leaving just the young players drafted under general manager Travis Schlenck as the Hawks plunge headfirst into a complete overhaul. It’s reasonable to imagine Atlanta finishing the season keeping only a core of Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, Omari Spellman, John Collins and De’Andre Bembry.
That leaves a lot of uncertainty going forward as well as reason for optimism — a wide-open roster means the chance to absorb nearly any kind of talent and make it work. Hunter brings some overlap with Bembry and Collins but would bring fantastic team defense to a squad sorely lacking it. Hunter is a picture-perfect 3-and-D forward prospect but brings above-average size at the position that makes him intoxicating for a team like Atlanta that has more offensive talent than defensive.
Young, Huerter and Collins could lead a fantastic offense down the line but they will need a whole lot of help on the other end to be competitive. That’s where Hunter could enter the Hawks’ plans, carrying a sterling 3.7 Defensive Box Plus-Minus on the best defensive team in the nation.
In addition, Hunter upped his 3-point percentage to 42 percent this year in an increased role for the Virginia offense, filling out his skill set and giving teams even more faith in his two-way potential in the modern NBA.