The Atlanta Hawks have two first-round picks in this year's draft, with one of the picks being in the lottery. There have been several rumors that the Hawks are open to drafting one of the available guards at No. 8, but they also have interest in Michigan center Aday Mara.
As far as the No. 23 pick, depending on what they do with No. 8, could decide what direction they go. At the same time, there's a chance that they trade the pick, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer.
“The Hawks, as mentioned above, have a lottery turn at No. 8, but league sources say that Atlanta has informed rival teams that it will happily field offers for No. 23,” Fischer wrote. “The Hawks obtained a second pick in Round 1 via trade with Cleveland but are said to prefer making only one selection in the first round.”
It's no surprise that the Hawks are willing to trade the No. 23 pick, and it would be reminiscent of what they did last season when they acquired Kristaps Porzingis from the Boston Celtics. In that three-team trade, the Hawks sent out the No. 22 pick and Terance Mann to the Brooklyn Nets.
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The Hawks could look to attach a player to the pick to add depth to their team, while other teams may want to shed salary.
It will be interesting to see what the Hawks decide to do, but more than anything, people are worried about what they do at No. 8. In ClutchPoints' latest mock draft, Brett Siegel noted that they had interest in Keaton Wagler and Mikel Brown Jr.
“Both Wagler and Brown are two guards the Hawks love, sources said,” Siegel wrote. “Aday Mara is another player sources say the Hawks are high on, yet conversations with league personnel continue to point in the direction of Atlanta favoring a guard in this spot to secure their backcourt long-term rather than target Mara. Should the Hawks trade down a few spots, Mara would be the obvious choice.”
The Atlanta Hawks have two first-round picks in this year's draft, with one of the picks being in the lottery. There have been several rumors that the Hawks are open to drafting one of the available guards at No. 8, but they also have interest in Michigan center Aday Mara. As far as the No. 23 pick, depending on what they do with No.