Winning the NBA Draft lottery provides the Hawks with 3 much-needed options
By Tyler Key
Option 3: Keep the #1 pick and trade Dejounte Murray
While there has been much debate about which guard the Hawks should move on from, if Atlanta is not going into full-tank mode, keeping Trae Young over Dejounte Murray makes a lot of sense. He is their franchise star and most marketable player, and he is also two years younger than Murray.
Additionally, there is a chance that due to his massive contract (owed $138 million over the next three seasons), he might actually have less trade value than Murray, who is on a much more tradeable and team-friendly contract.
This partial reset is also viable due to the Hawks already having some up-and-coming pieces that showed flashes last season in Jalen Johnson (22 years old) and Onyeka Okongwu (23 years old). A full rebuild is not likely needed with a young core of Young, Johnson, Okongwu, and whoever Atlanta chooses to select #1 overall. It would also be tougher to fully clean house and tank with Clint Capela, Bogdon Bogdanovic, and De’Andre Hunter all still under contract next season, with the latter two both under contract until the 2026-2027 season.
Nikola Topic could be an intriguing option with the #1 overall pick if the Hawks go with this option, as he can slide into the starting lineup immediately if needed, or be the understudy to fellow Serbian, Bogdanovic, for a season or two.
Matas Buzelis could be another good selection, standing at 6’11” and providing an interesting combination of skills and upside. Both foreign-born prospects lack consistent perimeter shooting but are also both teenagers who already have a great feel for the game.