Hypothetical Atlanta Hawks 2019 Draft Redo Minus Trades

Negative Feedback for the Hawks Draft

Though the Atlanta Hawks were mostly viewed as a draft winners, there were a few experts that did not grade them as highly. Nearly every expert that did not five the Hawks high marks mentioned one common reason.

They all felt like Atlanta gave away too much in the trade to move up and select Virginia forward De’Andre Hunter. Many experts believe Hunter has a high floor and project him to become a solid starter, but not an All Star. Some experts also mentioned the fact that Atlanta took on Solomon Hill and his 13.3 million dollar expiring deal, as a reason they were not found of the move.

Chris Stone of The Sporting News gave the Atlanta Hawks a B for selecting Cam Reddish, but handed the team a D for the De’Andre Hunter move. Ricky O’Donnell of SB Nation awarded a C- for the Hunter trade and also handed the Hawks a B for the Reddish pick.

Personally I did not care for the move myself, when the news first broke. However once Cam Reddish was drafted, it began to make sense. By drafting a combo forward and a ball handling wing, Atlanta Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk is surrounding Trae Young with players that compliment his skill set most.

The Hawks now have the pieces in place, to soon field the best small ball lineup in the Eastern Conference. On paper the pieces fit together like a puzzle. So despite the fact that Atlanta surrendered some of its assets, I gave the club a high draft grade.