The 2017 NBA Draft will wrap up with the Atlanta Hawks making the 60th and final selection of the night, hoping an overlooked prospect becomes a valuable addition to their roster.
The Atlanta Hawks are looking for the 2017 edition Mr. Irrelevant, the last pick of the draft, to make an impact on the team next season.
Pick No. 60, usually is reserved for international prospects that organizations are hoping can make an impact sometime down the road, rarely pans out, but as Celtics All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas has proven, it can happen.
Thomas was taken by the Sacramento Kings with the final selection of the 2011 NBA Draft, but blossomed into a star. This season, Thomas ranked third in the league in scoring, averaging 28.9 points per game.
Over the past 10 years, only four players selected 60th overall have even logged a single minute in the NBA, with Thomas accounting for 441 of the 757 total games played by the group.
Since the last pick of Thursday’s draft will be the third of the night for Atlanta, barring any trades, there is little risk to taking anyone — either a college senior or an 18-year-old from thousands of miles away.
Atlanta under new general manager Travis Schlenk has already conducted several workouts with players at all positions and is prepared to take the most talented prospect when selecting 19th, 31st and 60th.
Numerous players, including Marc Gasol, Draymond Green and Hawks All-Star forward Paul Millsap, an unrestricted free agent next month, have become All-Stars after being selected in the second round.
The Hawks are hoping the player that slips to them with the final pick can develop into a rotation player in the coming years.