NBA Draft Rumors: Lakers win-now approach, Zach Edey surging, Hawks untouchable

NBA Draft Rumors: Hawks have one untouchable

The Atlanta Hawks are in a fascinating spot ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft. They're a team that narrowly missed out on a postseason berth, losing in the Play-In Tournament, but they somehow shot up to the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery.

This Hawks team without much to get excited about long-term can now choose whichever prospect they'd like to be a big part of their future.

Not only are the Hawks a team to watch in the draft, but they have several players that they'll presumably be willing to trade in the right deal. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray generate the most headlines, and rightfully so, but the Hawks have many intriguing trade candidates. In fact, Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN ($) are going as far as to say virtually everyone is available on this Hawks team is available except for one player - Jalen Johnson.

"Jalen Johnson appears to be the only player the Hawks will not consider moving."

While it's good to keep options open, it makes sense that Atlanta is refusing to part with Johnson, a player who broke out in a huge way in his third NBA season. The 22-year-old averaged 16.0 points per game on 51.1/35.5/72.8 splits to go along with 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He didn't play much in his first two seasons but when finally given a chance, he ran with it and is a clear building block for Atlanta.

It's a mystery what Atlanta's roster will look like when next season begins, but Jalen Johnson will almost certainly be in the starting lineup playing a big role.

NBA Draft Rumors: Zach Edey's stock surging

One of the most polarizing players in this year's draft class is Zach Edey. The 22-year-old is one of the most dominant college players in recent memory, but his skill set is one that isn't ideal for the modern game. Edey is as dominant as they come inside, but he lacks mobility and doesn't have much of an outside shot to speak of.

His polarizing status makes it difficult to pinpoint a range of where he might get taken. With that being said, Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer believes that the Portland Trail Blazers might consider taking him within the top ten of the draft.

"The Blazers also worked out Purdue center Zach Edey earlier in the month, and people around the NBA believe that they are also extremely high on him — not just for the 14th pick, but for their first choice at No. 7," O'Connor reported Monday. "The bottom line is that the Blazers seem to be looking to come away with a center to pair with Scoot Henderson and their other young pieces."

The Blazers are in the unique position of having two picks in the lottery, holding the No. 7 and No. 14 selections. The Blazers might consider him with either one of their picks, including No. 7 which would be wild.

While it makes sense for Portland to want to pair a young center alongside former No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson, the Blazers do have Deandre Ayton under team control for another two seasons at over $34 million annually, making this fit, in particular, a bit odd, and that's not even mentioning Robert Williams III also being under contract.

Even if Edey doesn't go No. 7 overall, the fact that he's even being talked about as a possibility to go that high shows that he might end up being a lottery pick after all.

NBA Draft Rumors: Lakers considering clear win-now approach

The Los Angeles Lakers are a team trying to win now. That's no secret. Their hope is that JJ Redick can help LeBron James (assuming he re-signs) and Anthony Davis get back to the top. For Los Angeles to achieve that goal, they're going to have to improve their surrounding cast, however.

The easiest way for the Lakers to do that is to trade the No. 17 pick of the upcoming draft for a player or two who can help them win now. While that might be the easiest option, it's far from the only option.

The Lakers could choose to stand pat and take a prospect at No. 17 overall, which is what Givony and Woo of ESPN do in their mock draft. They have the Lakers taking 23-year-old Tristan Da Silva, which would make a lot of sense if their goal is to try and win right now.

"Should the Lakers elect to stand pat, picking a plug-and-play wing/forward such as Da Silva would make lots of sense. He has excellent size at 6-foot-10. He made 40% of his 3-pointers. And he brings a strong feel for the game, unselfishness and competitiveness on both ends of the floor."

Da Silva is coming off a strong final season in college basketball, averaging 16.0 points per game on 49.3/39.5/83.5 splits to go along with 5.1 rebounds as well. He's a bit older, but he's a 6-foot-10 wing with plenty of collegiate experience who can shoot the lights out. He can help spread the floor for LeBron and AD to operate, and should be ready to play right away.

He might not have the ceiling that some other players have who might be available at No. 17, but he could easily be the most ready player out there to help the Lakers win right now.