2019 NBA Draft: Should Atlanta Hawks Trade Up in Second Round with Suns?

The 2019 NBA Draft will almost certainly be packed with trades. Will the Atlanta Hawks join the fray in the second round?

With the 2019 NBA Draft less than two weeks away, the Atlanta Hawks are pondering any and all choices ahead of one of the biggest days in recent franchise history – much like last year’s draft was.

This year, the Hawks have myriad choices to make, whether it be trading up with the New York Knicks, trading down with the Oklahoma City Thunder or even trading down for multiple first round picks with the Boston Celtics – as was outlined in our most recent mock draft.

All of the first round picks in the 2019 NBA Draft, and the maneuvering therein, will certainly garner most of the headlines, but the Atlanta Hawks actually have more picks in the second round than they do in the first.

It seems extremely unlikely that the Hawks will bring five or six new players into the fold in the 2019-20 season (except maybe on the Summer League roster), so a few trades in the second round would make sense. Perhaps the Hawks could trade up to pick #32 overall with the Phoenix Suns? Here’s a potential deal:

While it might seem obvious, that #32 overall pick is really a pseudo-first-rounder, as any player that has fallen out of the first round will be available there. Just look at Mitchell Robinson, who fell to the New York Knicks at #36 overall and was named to the All-Rookie Second Team along with Kevin Huerter.

Don’t forget: The Atlanta Hawks could’ve drafted Robinson with the #34th overall pick, but they traded it with the Hornets.

Would the Suns want to do this? Perhaps not, as they will likely sign a point guard in free agency under the guise of wanting to be competitive. However, since the Hawks will likely not use all of their picks, why not at least attempt to trade up for an attractive pick at #32 overall – allowing the Suns to make two picks in the 40s and replenishing their young player coffers in this draft.