Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Lou Williams says what all Hawks fans are thinking

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Alex Lord | Last updated 5/14/24

The Hawks finally had something go their way on Sunday, winning the draft lottery for the first time in franchise history, giving Atlanta the 1st overall pick for the first time since 1975.

Landry Fields, Kyle Korver, and the front office have a pivotal offseason ahead of them, but they have the assets necessary to right the ship; most fans are aligned in their vision of what the Hawks should do.

Whether they trade Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, or the 1st overall pick, the fan base wants to watch a winner in State Farm Arena. Hawks fans want the magic they felt during the Eastern Conference finals run in 2021. A Hawks (and Atlanta) legend echoed those same sentiments.

“This city doesn’t want any young talent right now, they want to trade that pick and they want to get some guys that can come in here and help win right now,” Lou Williams said on the Run It Back show on FanDuel TV.

"This city doesn't want any young talent right now, they want to trade that pick and they want to get some guys that can come in here and help win right now."@TeamLou23 reacts to the #Hawks winning the NBA Lottery. pic.twitter.com/btmuj1OeL0

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) May 13, 2024

I’ll push back that most Hawks fans want to trade the 1st pick, but he’s absolutely right that 99% of Hawks fans want to win right now. There are a few who see a full-fledged rebuild as the best avenue; however, the vast majority don’t want to tear it all down.

The Hawks have options. They finally have the opportunity to get off the hamster wheel of never competing for championships but never being bad enough to get a franchise-altering draft pick.

Lemon Pepper Lou is correct that the fan base want to win, but he’s wrong about what they want to do with 1st overall pick; in fact, they’re split down the middle about making the pick or trading it.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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