The Atlanta Hawks have been extremely active this offseason; here’s a grade for every move they made in free agency and the NBA draft.
Since switching picks with the Dallas Mavericks to bring Trae Young to their city, the Atlanta Hawks have been expected to make some moves to keep him happy and did so this offseason. Despite losing some momentum when John Collins was sidelined last year, the Hawks have made it known that they’re looking to win now and to secure that ever-so-elusive playoff berth.
As other teams in the eastern conference looked to revamp their rosters in preparation for the return of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and other superstars, the Hawks went into their break knowing they had work to do to be competitive. Team president and general manager Travis Schlenk had his work cut out for him in addressing the Atlanta Hawks’ shooting and defensive woes, as well as their lack of experience and depth.
Here’s a look at how the peach state squad did this offseason.
NBA Draft
Onyeka Okongwu (No. 6 overall)
When the Atlanta Hawks drafted Onyeka Okongwu with the sixth overall pick, they made it clear that their priority for the future was addressing their defense. Many first heard his name mentioned with the likes of Lonzo Ball and the second overall pick in the same draft, LaMelo Ball, who Okongwu played with on the Chino Hills High School team that took the basketball world by storm.
One of the worst teams in the league in terms of defensive efficiency, the Hawks added a big body, a six-foot-nine Okongwu who averaged almost 3 blocks, 8.6 rebounds, and a steal in his sole season with the USC Trojans. As impressive as he was on the defensive end, Okongwu is no slouch on offense either. Okongwu averaged 16 points per game while shooting 61% from the field and 72% from the free-throw line. He’s a great addition to a Hawks team expecting a breakout season from John Collins and the return of Clint Capela at center. Solid pick that filled an obvious void. Schlenk and co. made the right move here.
Skylar Mays (No. 50 overall)
The Hawks grabbed four-year LSU hooper, Skylar Mays, with the 50th pick. Averaging 16.7 points per game while shooting 49 percent from the field and 39 percent from three, Mays clearly knows how to put the ball in the bucket. He’ll more than likely spend the season in the G-League as the Hawks made moves in free agency to bolster their backcourt. We’ll discuss those later but Mays at 6-4 is a great one to groom for the future in ATL.
Grade: A+
Now, let’s dive into the several free agency moves the Atlanta Hawks made in the offseason.