If the Mavericks don’t luck out and nab a top-four draft pick via the lottery, the Hawks will own five of the top 44 selections in next month’s NBA draft. Currently, those picks project to land at Nos. 5, 9, 35, 41, and 44.
Speaking today to reporters, including Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, general manager Travis Schlenk acknowledged that the team is unlikely to bring five rookies to camp in the fall. In other words, the Hawks probably won’t use all five of those draft picks.
As Vivlamore notes, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the Hawks will trade one or more picks, though that’s certainly an option — the club could package two or three picks to move up, or could surrender one of its 2019 selections for a future pick or two. Another potential scenario for Atlanta would be going the draft-and-stash route, whereby the team drafts an international prospect who won’t be ready to immediately come stateside.
As we wait to see what the Hawks do with all those draft picks, here’s more from Schlenk:
- The Hawks may have two top-10 picks in the draft, and they sound prepared to simply draft the best player available with those selections, regardless of positional overlap. “We are still in a development stage,” Schlenk said, per Vivlamore. “We feel good about the development we made this year but I think it’s important not to jump steps. We are still going to take the best players we can. You look at the playoffs now, position-less basketball is what is out there. We are going to keep getting the best talent we can, keep adding them to the mix and we’ll figure out how to blend them on the back end.”
- Although Schlenk says there’s a “buzz” around the NBA about the Hawks’ young core, he doesn’t expect the team to be overly active in free agency this summer. As Vivlamore relays, Atlanta is more likely to wait to see what sort of players slip through the cracks after the initial wave of signings is over. “Once we show we are in contention, playoff contending, that’s when free agents are going to look at this group and say ‘I want to go there because we can take it to the next level,'” Schlenk said.
- If and when the Hawks do pursue bigger-name free agents, the opportunity to play alongside Trae Young figures to be a selling point, according to Schlenk, who praised Young’s ability to set up his teammates and get them open shots.
- Vince Carter said this week that he intends to return for his 22nd NBA season, and Schlenk “certainly wouldn’t have a problem” if Carter ends up re-signing with the Hawks, he said today, praising the veteran’s leadership in the locker room (link via Vivlamore).
- Taurean Prince, considered one of the Hawks’ core players, will be eligible for a rookie scale extension starting in July. According to Vivlamore, Schlenk spoke to Prince’s agent on Thursday and said he expects to resume those discussions later in the offseason once Prince officially becomes extension-eligible.
I love this young core in Atlanta. Young, Huerter, Prince, Collins, and then the chance to bring in Reddish, Zion, Barrett, Morant, or whoever else.
zion w/be a great fit in atl. small market to develop and then get flipped to a contender i.e. anthony davis
ATL is not a small market! That was just disrespectful! We are not top 5 either, but we are upper mid market. According to the 2028 stats we where the number 12 NBA market and that’s with a horrible team. That’s right after GS and before Boston….. would you call either of those small markets?
link to google.com
rolf “upper mid market”
Trolling at its dumbest
Small market is not entirely about population. It’s all about the size of the fan base, not overall population. I don’t consider the Green Bay Packers or the St. Louis Cardinals to be small market. However, I do consider the Chicago White Sox a small market mainly because even though they are in a big city, very few people care about them. The Hawks are kind of in that boat. Atlanta is not really a small market for the Braves, but it is for the Hawks and, to an extent, the Falcons.
You don’t know Atlanta sir and have your facts wrong, Atlanta is a huge market for the Falcons! As well as for the Braves now that get are winning again. Market size Is also about not only Ticket sales and merchandising, but also about the TV shares and any way you slice that, the Hawks are in the top half of the NBA even wile rebuilding. Calling us a small market is just untrue all the way around. You don’t have to believe me, please look it up.
So what happened to Schlenk’s “aggressive in free agency” and putting Prince on the trading block? Got tired of enriching journalists with suggestions?
Now he’s just putting existing Hawks at ease with the “positionless basketball” talk. Playoff players have positions, they’re just good enough to expand them.
I hope the Raptors or the Nets sign VC next season so he can retire Vinsanity in either franchise. I also hope Vince stays healthy, joins the Slam Dunk contest AND WIN it. Those 2 scenarios would be a fitting tribute to the end of the “Vinsanity Era”. Only thing that would be better would be a championship ring in his last season.
Vince won the Slam Dunk contest in 2000. It would be incredible to just PARTICIPATE in it 20 years later – let alone won it. I hope he gets in it. His “peers” would go crazy having him in the event. It would be huge. I don’t think he’d disappoint, even at this age.