3 Players the Hawks Could Draft at #15

Because of the greatest throw-in in a trade ever, the Atlanta Hawks have exercised their right to swap first round picks with the Brooklyn Nets as part of the glorious Joe Johnson trade. Atlanta would have picked 29th in the 2015 NBA Draft because the team finished with a 60-22 record, good enough for the second-best record in the NBA. The Hawks nearly ended up in the Draft Lottery because of the pick swap, as Brooklyn had the East’s eight seed and the worst record of any team that made the postseason this spring.

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With the first pick just outside of the lottery range, Coach Mike Budenholzer and possibly exiled GM Danny Ferry will look to bring in a solid collegiate player that can hopefully get the Atlanta Hawks over the top in 2015-16 and into the NBA Finals. Here are three players that Atlanta could take with the fifteenth overall selection in June’s NBA Draft.

SF Sam Dekker, Wisconsin (Junior)

With the impending free agency of SF DeMarre Carroll who projects to make some serious money in his next deal ($10-12 Million annually), Atlanta may look to secure the small forward position with the junior swingman Sam Dekker from Wisconsin out on the wing. Dekker helped lead the Bo Ryan’s Badgers to a National Championship Game in this past NCAA Tournament. Sam has sound fundamentals and can score from anywhere on the court. He plays with his basketball IQ and is a great teammate player. Dekker plays very well off the ball and isn’t afraid to get physical.

Dekker has a similar skill set as Kyle Korver, though a bit larger (6’9”, 220 lbs.) Sam would prefer not to create his own shots off the dribble nor does he really have a post game. Though he may go earlier than fifteenth, if Dekker is available and DeMarre becomes too expensive to keep, then I could totally see Coach Bud making Sam Dekker an Atlanta Hawk. It seems like a very good fit for both team and player.

Apr 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Trey Lyles (41) dunks the ball during the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers of the 2015 NCAA Men

PF Trey Lyles, Kentucky (Freshman)

As part of the one-loss Kentucky Wildcats team that made it to the Final Four in 2015, freshman Trey Lyles played on a roster full of NBA talent under Coach John Calipari. Lyles enters the 2015 NBA Draft with a well-rounded game. His great touch will make him a strong offensive four in the Association and he draws comparisons to former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer. Scouts like Lyles’ overall game but don’t feel that he does anything at an elite level. Many spoke of Paul Millsap in the same way when he came to Atlanta from Utah two summers ago. Now Paul is a two-time NBA All-Star.

Along with point guard, power forward has been the deepest position in this era of NBA basketball. Atlanta often times can’t help themselves and continue to draft PFs (Mike Scott, Mike Muscala, Adreian Payne). Lyles knows a thing or two about what it’s like to go on incredibly long winning streaks while he was at Kentucky. The former Mr. Indiana Basketball could fill a void in the Hawks lineup if Paul Millsap signs elsewhere in 2015. Atlanta always wants guys with great fundamentals and in my opinion drafting Lyles out of Kentucky would be the writing on the wall for Mike Scott’s time in the ATL.

SF Kelly Oubre, Kansas (Freshman)

Mar 12, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (12) dunks the ball as TCU Horned Frogs forward Brandon Parrish (11) tries to defend during the first round at Sprint Center. Kansas won 64-59. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Freshman Kelly Oubre from KU could help solidify the Hawks on the wing in this draft. Oubre made great strides at defensive improvement during his year in Lawrence, KS under Coach Bill Self. Despite limited playing time out of the gate for Self, Oubre made a name for himself defensively in Big 12 Conference Play for the Jayhawks. He projects as a great 3-and-D type of player out on the perimeter. This has been the weakest link on the Atlanta Hawks during the Budenholzer era. Opposing teams would often exploit the Hawks’ deficiencies on the wing, especially after the Thabo Sefolosha injuries. Though I think Bud would prefer Dekker over Oubre, this would be a good fit for Oubre and the team should Atlanta select Kelly fifteenth.

Most mock draft boards have the Atlanta Hawks selecting either a wing or a power forward with the fifteenth overall selection. As tough as it may sound, the Hawks might struggle to keep both DeMarre Carroll and Paul Millsap. Both free agents will command more money than they are making on their team-friendly two-year deals with Atlanta. While both players obviously like playing for Bud in Atlanta, this is a business. The Hawks might be wise to address their issues on the wing in this year’s NBA Draft. If all things were equal, either Dekker or Oubre make the most sense for our team’s needs.

The 2015 NBA Draft will held on June 25th a 7:00 PM ET, live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

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