The Atlanta Hawks pick James Bouknight in the latest mock draft, but should they?
Bleacher Report released their latest mock draft where they have the Atlanta Hawks picking at number 16. just outside the lottery. This will change as their position in the standings changes but 16 feels right at the moment.
With the 16th pick, the Atlanta Hawks chose James Bouknight, according to the author Jonathan Wasserman, a 6’5″ shooting guard out of Connecticut. This pick is a little strange given the way the Hawks roster is structured this season and the number of players who can play this position.
They currently have Tony Snell, Cam Reddish, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kevin Huerter, and Lou Williams who can all lay claim to the spot, most of them could even start there. Adding a sixth player into this mix would certainly mean some offseason shuffling for the Hawks
Why it makes no sense for the Atlanta Hawks to select James Bouknight
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The first option for the Hawks would be to trade this pick. Bouknight is only a 32.0 percent shooter from deep at the college level. He does not really fit the needs of the Hawks who have surrounded their superstar point guard, Trae Young, with some of the better shooters in the game.
Adding Bouknight, who will not space the floor as effectively as any of the players mentioned earlier, would be a mistake. However, on the other side of the coin, he could add a point of difference if another team has the Hawks number.
To this end, the Hawks have a couple of players who are coming off contract next season in Lou Williams and Tony Snell. While the Hawks are building to the future, it is hard to see Bouknight fitting the Hawks’ structure as well as these two veterans.
Huerter is eligible for a rookie extension this coming offseason and the Hawks would be remiss if they did not give it to him. Reddish is a key defensive piece, while Bogdanovic was signed to a four-year deal and is putting up his hand to be the starting shooting guard.
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This pick will probably not stay at 16 for the Hawks, but if it does they should not take Bouknight. He does not make sense for the franchise as it is currently structured.