2019 NBA Mock Draft: The dust clears from the NBA trade deadline

For a tip on who the Hawks might covet with this pick, let’s check in with Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk, who will, of course, be guiding the franchise through his second draft in charge. Schlenk gave an interview ahead of the trade deadline on how he sees the roster going forward.

“We’re looking for future assets,” Schlenk told The Athletic. “We already have five picks in this draft and more than likely, two firsts and three seconds. Any of the deals we do will be future assets or a deal that maybe will increase our (cap) flexibility moving forward. We’re still on the same trajectory. We’re certainly listening to a lot of stuff, but we’re not going to do a bad deal or do a deal that will hamper our objectives.”

By “listening to a lot of stuff,” Schlenk is referring to trade offers. But it shows that building through the draft is his focus here, with several picks in 2019 and more coming in the future.

Earlier in the year, Schlenk told The Athletic something even more enlightening as to how the Hawks will approach the draft: “Yeah, we’re going with talent over fit, for sure. As you start picking in the second round, there might be a guy who fits perfectly. I think some of the biggest mistakes in the draft, at least the ones I’ve been a part of, is drafting for need, especially at the top of the draft, over talent.”

If Atlanta wants talent over fit and prioritizes flexibility, drafting Culver, a playmaker at the forward spot who has elite defensive potential, makes a whole ton of sense.