NBA Draft 2013: Atlanta Hawks Trade Two Second-Rounders

Dec 18, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Kyle Anderson (5) guards Long Beach State 49ers guard/forward James Ennis (11) during the first half at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

After a long, long night at the 2013 NBA Draft, the Hawks “punted” their final two selections.

They drafted Brazilian guard Raul Neto with the 47th pick, and Long Beach State swingman James Ennis with the 50th pick, and for a few moments, it seemed like the Hawks would leave New York with five rookies to work with. Then, however, Danny Ferry shipped Neto to Utah and traded Ennis to Miami, with each deal going for a future second-round selection.

Clearly, Ferry had no interest in leaving with five players, and frankly, I am okay with that. However, I am a self-proclaimed James Ennis fanatic (as you can see by my second-round sleepers post), and I would have loved to see Ennis under the control of the Hawks. I think he possessed some of the highest upside of any talent in the second round, and that would have been an interesting project at a position where the Hawks currently have no one under contract.

Alas, the night finished with just three rookies under control, and those players (Lucas Nogueira, Dennis Schroeder, and Mike Muscala) will have every opportunity to make an impact in the coming days.

Stay tuned!