Three Biggest Atlanta Hawks Storylines To Watch in The First Round Of The NBA Draft

The 2024-2025 NBA season officially came to a close Sunday night with the Oklahoma City Thunder winning the championship over the Indiana Pacers. Unlike other major sports, the offseason is literally around the corner in the NBA, and we have already seen major moves being made. The Orlando Magic traded for Desmond Bane, and yesterday, the Houston Rockets made a big move to acquire Kevin Durant from Phoenix. There is sure to be more on the way, and the 2025 NBA Draft is one day away.

While the No. 1 pick of the draft is already set in stone, there are questions throughout the rest of the lottery, and one of the most interesting teams to watch on draft night is going to be the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks got some lottery luck by landing the No. 13 pick courtesy of the Sacramento Kings, and they have the No. 22 pick courtesy of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Now, what will the Hawks do with these picks? Will they stay at No. 13 and No. 22? Will they package them together to try and move up for a player they like, who they don't think will be there at No. 13? Could they trade one or both picks for a veteran to try and help their team now? Those are the questions that will await new Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh and the two new hires to the front office, Bryson Graham and Peter Dinwiddie.

With that in mind, what are some storylines to follow for the Hawks tomorrow?

1. Will Atlanta Trade Up?

The Hawks have the luxury of having two picks in the first round and there has been a lot of chatter about the team moving up in the draft. The popular target is Duke center Khaman Maluach, who would be a great fit on the team due to his size, but how far up would Atlanta need to move? Anywhere from 9-12 feels like the most likely range, but what if the Hawks are aiming higher? According to Kevin O'Connor at Yahoo Sports, Atlanta has been making calls to get into the top five:

"League sources say the Hawks are looking to move way up from this pick and have called teams drafting in the top five. They are targeting a center. So if they stay put, it only makes sense to give them Beringer, the best lob threat remaining on the board. Beringer began playing basketball only three years ago, which makes him a raw project, but also makes his natural talents all the more impressive. He is a center, but has the quickness of a guard, giving him immense defensive versatility to build on for years to come."

If they get into the top five, that would be a hefty price to pay. If that is true, is Maluach the target or is it a prospect who has not been discussed nearly as much, like Duke's Kon Knueppel, Texas guard Tre Johnson, or Rutgers forward Ace Bailey?

Atlanta has been one of the most talked about teams to potentially trade up, Saleh said they are comfortable sitting at 13 and 22 and taking who they deem is the best player available.

"Yeah, I think the key for us is optionality. I think the two picks gives us that. You know, there's different things we could do, but I do feel really comfortable with 13 and 22. I think there's going to be good players there."