Atlanta Hawks: 4 Best Moves of the 2019 Offseason

Drafting De’Andre Hunter

For the sake of this article, the trade up to #4 overall and the selection of De’Andre Hunter there are treated as two separate moves.

While Schlenk might’ve given up an absolute king’s ransom to move up 4 spots in the 2019 NBA Draft, his selection of Hunter at that spot is unimpeachable. Anyone who watched the 2019 NCAA Tournament championship game would have absolutely no qualms selecting De’Andre Hunter in the Top 5.

Those that did not watch it were probably a bit more concerned.

Hunter certainly doesn’t have the highest floor of various players that were still available on the board at #4 overall (which was everyone except Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and R.J. Barrett), but let there be no confusion: Taking De’Andre Hunter at #4 overall was one of the best moves of the offseason for the Atlanta Hawks.

Sure, there is an argument that can be made that the Hawks should not be “drafting for need” so early in their rebuild, but a counterargument to that could also be offered: The Hawks’ young core, augmented by Hunter’s low-usage, mistake-free play and excellent defense could make the team into a low-level contender in the Eastern Conference as soon as next season.

If that’s the case, wouldn’t trading up be worth it? Either way, great stuff from Schlenk on draft night – making this one of the best moves of the offseason for the Atlanta Hawks.