With the deadline for college early entrants to declare for the 2025 NBA Draft just ending last night, the list of draft prospects is now essentially finalized.
The Hawks, of course, possess the 13th and 22nd pick in the upcoming draft. With those picks, Atlanta isn’t expected to land any immediate impact starters, but they can pick up a couple of key rotation pieces for the future with the right combination of skill and luck as the draft board unfolds on June 26.
The Hawks seems to have the biggest holes at backup point guard and backup center (pending what happens in free agency of course), so it’s not a surprise that those positions players are commonly mocked to Atlanta — especially so for the available bigs.
So without further ado, let’s look around the internet to see who could be good fits for the Hawks’ attempt to build for the present and the future.
Jonathan Wasserman at Bleacher Report recently went for a popular choice with the Hawks’ lone lottery pick:
13. Atlanta Hawks (via Kings): Derik Queen (Maryland, C)
Size: 6’9”, 248 lbs
Age: 20
Nationality: USA
Pro Comparison: Alperen Sengun
Derik Queen didn’t help himself at the NBA combine, registering the slowest sprint time since 2022 and ranking second-to-last in lane agility, shuttle run and both vertical jumps. That could sway top-10 teams to hesitate and allow a late-lottery team a chance to draft the highest-skilled true big man in the field.
Queen would give Atlanta another option to feature in the half court, where he’s polished from the post, a functional ball-handler in space and a plus-passing presence.
Team Fit: Queen is a unique prospect who could really impact the game with a seldom seen blend of size, scoring, vision and feel. He’d give Atlanta another needed half-court option the Hawks can go to, aside from Trae Young.
TRADE IDEA
Hawks Receive: No. 6
Wizards Receive: Nos. 13 and 22
Then he doubled up on bigs:
22. Atlanta Hawks (via Lakers): Maxime Raynaud (Stanford, C)
Size: 7’1”, 250 lbs
Age: 22
Nationality: France
Pro Comparison: Quentin Post
After Wednesday’s scrimmage, plus an entire season of scoring and three-point shooting production, some scouts have Maxime Raynaud close to the lottery than second round.
His offensive skill plus and production have become highly convincing.
At least, teams figure to see a second-unit, 7’1” weapon that can stretch the floor create offense out of the post.
Over at CBS Sports, Kyle Boone opts for two trendy wings for Atlanta:
Round 1 — Pick 13 — Carter Bryant PF
Arizona • Fr • 6’7” / 215 lbs
The counting stats for a deep Arizona team last season don’t do justice to the upside for Bryant. He’s a 3-and-D type wing who has tremendous size, and he rated in the 82nd percentile on unguarded catch-and-shoot opportunities last season.
Round 1 — Pick 22 — Liam McNeeley SF
Connecticut • Fr • 6’7” / 215 lbs
What a steal this’d be for Atlanta. McNeeley is a big wing who can do a little of everything with the competitive spirit and confidence of someone I’d be itching to bet on.
Sports Illustrated has a different take with the lottery pick, one that happens to come just after Graham’s breakdown of this French prospect:
13. Atlanta Hawks: F Noa Essengue, France
While the Hawks could certainly consider a guard here—especially with all the buzz around Trae Young’s uncertain future—I’m not convinced they’re ready to hit the reset button just yet. Instead of moving on from their franchise point guard, Atlanta could focus on building around him by adding a versatile international forward to complement Young, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and last year’s No. 1 pick, Zaccharie Risacher.
With top centers like Khaman Maluach and Derik Queen already off the board, Noa Essengue becomes a compelling option. The rising French prospect has seen his draft stock soar in recent months, thanks to his smooth shooting stroke from beyond the arc and the kind of modern skill set NBA teams crave in stretch forwards. Essengue’s size, strength, and floor-spacing ability make him an ideal frontcourt pairing alongside Johnson’s explosiveness. Though he’s still one of the youngest players in this class, his mature physical tools and upside scream long-term value—and the Hawks would be wise to take notice.
22. Atlanta Hawks: F Liam McNeely, UConn
With their second first-round pick, the Hawks should look to scoop up the best talent still on the board—and that could very well be UConn’s Liam McNeely. One of the purest shooters in this draft class, McNeely brings instant floor spacing to complement Trae Young and Zaccharie Risacher in the backcourt.
As Jalen Johnson continues to expand his shooting range, McNeely could thrive in a bench role right away, serving as a catch-and-shoot specialist who doesn’t need high usage to make an impact. Pairing him with Young—last season’s league leader in assists—creates an ideal situation where McNeely’s off-ball movement and quick release could be fully maximized.
ESPN assembled multiple writers to collaborate on this mock draft a few weeks ago, with Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo tag teaming for Atlanta’s picks:
Joan Beringer, C, Cedevita Olimpija
Adriatic | TS%: 61.5
Intel and fit: It’s difficult to speculate which direction the Hawks will go with this pick until we see what their front office looks like after the ouster of general manager Landry Fields last month. The Hawks have held discussions with some of the most prominent agents in the industry, as well as some big-name NBA executives. They might elect to hire more of a senior adviser figure to work alongside new GM Onsi Saleh.
With the first of two first-round picks, taking a swing on a high-upside prospect such as Beringer would make sense, especially with starting center Clint Capela entering free agency. Beringer, 18, has been surprisingly impactful for Cedevita this season, leading the Adriatic League in block percentage.
His tremendous physical tools, combined with his ability to cover ground on the perimeter, switch on to smaller players and protect the rim, show he has significant potential, especially because he has been playing basketball for only three years. — Givony
22.Atlanta Hawks (via Los Angeles Lakers)
Will Riley, SG/SF, Illinois
Freshman | TS%: 53.8
Combine measurements:
Height without shoes: 6-8¼ | Weight: 185
Standing reach: 8-8 | Wingspan: 6-8¾
Intel and fit: It’s difficult to identify a clear direction for the Hawks, as previously mentioned, until Atlanta finalizes a hire to lead its front office. But with the Hawks already adding big man Beringer, they can take a best-available approach with Riley, another young player who has substantial long-term upside as his body and skill set mature.
He will be in the discussion for teams selecting higher than this, with excellent size for a wing (measuring over 6-8 barefoot at the combine) and room to add strength. His terrific offensive instincts and potential to make shots from the perimeter at a high level check important boxes if a team can afford him some patience. — Woo
The Athletic’s most recent mock draft from John Hollinger only runs through the lottery, but a passing savant is tapped for them there:
13. Atlanta Hawks: Egor Demin, F, BYU
It’s going to be hard for the Hawks to resist taking a 7-2 center here if Maluach gets to them, but hater Mayberry took him off the board at No. 12. That leaves Atlanta in a more traditional “best player available” mode, and the Hawks also need more ball handling and shot creation on the perimeter, especially when Trae Young is out of the game. Thus, Demin becomes the logical choice, even if on paper he somewhat overlaps positionally with last year’s top pick Zaccharie Risahcer. Demin is much more of an on-ball presence than Risacher and could operate as the de facto backup point guard if he proves rotation-ready. — John Hollinger
Who do you think should be the selections at 13 and 22?