Atlanta Hawks 2019 Offseason Grades: Trading Up for #4 Overall Pick
By Dallin Duffy
Our offseason grades series continues with the Atlanta Hawks gutsy decision to trade up on draft night to obtain the #4 overall pick from the New Orleans Pelicans.
Just hours before the 2019 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks still were carrying 3 picks in the top 20.
There were many rumors of not only the Hawks moving up, and putting some or all of the 8th, 10th and 17th picks together to move up.
Just about 90 minutes before Adam Silver took the stage to start the 2019 NBA Draft, the Hawks reached an agreement with New Orleans.
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They sent their own pick (8th), the 17th pick they recently acquired from Brooklyn in the Taurean Prince trade as well as the 35th overall selection, hanging onto the 10th pick that came from Dallas. Along with the 4th pick, they picked up forward Solomon Hill and two 2nd rounders.
With the pick they selected De’Andre Hunter, the forward who helped lead his Virginia Cavaliers to the NCAA Championship just a handful of months ago.
The pick has both praised and scrutinized, with some noting his winner’s mentality and elite three-and-D potential, while others pointing out his low ceiling and less than desirable draft age (Hunter will turn 22 in December).
Trading for the pick itself got better reviews, as not only did the Hawks not sell too much, and with the first 3 picks already set in stone, it gave Atlanta Hawks GM Travis Schlenk essentially his first choice of the other top tier players, landing exactly who they wanted.
In this case, the front office had to value Hunter’s elite defensive potential, and most saw Hunter as one of – if not the – best perimeter defenders in the draft. A much appreciated addition to the defense-needy Hawks core.
The rest of the trade is a bit hard to grade, as there was a lot of the other pieces involved were moving well after draft day.
Atlanta has acquired New Orleans No. 4 pick in the draft for No. 8 and 17 and 35, league sources tell ESPN. Pelicans are sending Solomon Hill, No. 57 pick and a future second-round pick.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 20, 2019
Solomon Hill was put together with Miles Plumlee (who himself came from the Dwight Howard trade), and shipped to Memphis in exchange for Chandler Parsons, turning 2 overpaid contracts into 1.
They then took that 57th selection and two more future 2nd rounders and shipped them to Philly, in exchange the 34th pick, Bruno Fernando.
The biggest part of the trade package that the Hawks sent over, besides their own pick was the 17th pick that came to the Atlanta Hawks along with Allen Crabbe in the Taurean Prince trade.
So, if you want to be really fluid about it, you can put everything together and look at it like the Hawks traded Taurean Prince, Solomon Hill, Miles Plumlee, four 2nd rounders, the 17th and the 8th pick for De’Andre Hunter, Chandler Parsons and Bruno Fernando.
Depending on your feelings on the Taurean Prince, that makes the trade either good or great, and I feel the latter.
Grade: A-
The biggest impact of this grade will be De’Andre Hunter and how he translates into the league, but for what the Atlanta Hawks gave up, it’s still a great trade and worthwhile gamble.
Next. Hawks SF Depth Chart for 2019-20. dark
Hunter and Fernando will no doubt be fun to watch this year, along with Cam Reddish, Trae Young, John Collins and the rest of the young Hawkers.