Should The Hawks Move Up in the Draft?

Though the Atlanta Hawks have already moved up in the draft board by exercising their right to swap first-round picks with the Brooklyn Nets because of a clause in the Joe Johnson Trade, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, the Hawks are looking to move up again in Thursday Night’s NBA Draft.

Though the Atlanta Hawks are already picking 15th in the NBA Draft, is it wise for the Hawks to consider swapping picks with the Indiana Pacers?

-= Related: Should The Atlanta Hawks Draft Bobby Portis? =-

I imagine that part of the theoretical swap would include either one of Atlanta’s second round picks (50 via Toronto or 59) or possibly future picks down the road.  I’d be skeptical to make a deal with the Pacers as even though Indiana failed to make the playoffs last year, they nearly got into them on the final day of the regular season.  Plus, their getting back Paul George at full strength, a top ten player in the league when he’s healthy.

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So I really wouldn’t want to give the Pacers anything as with a healthy George, they could potentially contend for an Eastern Conference Championship.  Remember the Indiana Pacers knocked the Hawks out of the playoffs in both 2013 and 2014 when they were at full strength.  Their core has made it to two ECF’s with Frank Vogel as their coach.

I really wouldn’t want to give a team like the Pacers, a serious threat like us to knock off the Cavaliers next year, anything that’s going to give them an edge over us.  While it’s only going to cost a second round pick or something similar in the future to move up from 15 to 11,  I would prefer another trade partner than the Pacers.  Someone that’s not an immediate threat to the Atlanta Hawks’ contention next year.  So is their anybody else that could bite for a deal to get Hawks picking higher in Thursday’s draft?

There are two teams I would consider trying to trade up in the draft with: the Utah Jazz at 12 and the Detroit Pistons at 8.  Okay, the Detroit swap is a stretch, honestly.  But to somehow include this pick swap with a Paul Millsap/Greg Monroe sign-and-trade scenario later down the road once free agency arrives kind of makes some sense.  Basically Atlanta and Detroit draft where they are but swap their first round picks in a few weeks and then sign-and-trade of their power forwards.  I don’t think this is happening but I would feel like a genius if this actually came true.

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The Utah Jazz scenario is much more attainable.  Hawks HC Mike Budenholzer’s former top assistant Quin Snyder is going into his second season as HC of the Utah Jazz.  They have a good working relationship, kind of how Atlanta Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff has with St. Louis’ Les Snead and Jacksonville’s David Caldwell.  Having a friend and former colleague ahead of you on the draft board possibly makes of moving up that much easier.

I’d prefer to see the Hawks stay at 15, but if there is a player they covet (Frank Kaminsky, Kelly Oubre, Stanley Johnson, etc.) that simply will not fall to 15, I can understand why the Atlanta Hawks organization might consider moving up in the NBA Draft.  At least the team has the luxury to get into the Lottery selections thanks again to GM Billy King of the Brooklyn Nets.  Picking at 15 is WAY better than picking at 29.

Next: Atlanta Hawks Should Draft Sam Dekker If Available

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