The Atlanta Hawks haven’t even gone through free agency yet. But that does not mean it is too early to keep tabs on what they could opt for once the NBA Draft rolls around in June. A swift exit from the playoffs after five games left a bad feeling on everyone’s minds after their run to the Eastern Conference Finals a year before.
Both Bogdan Bogdanovic and Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk mentioned the Heat and how they took a step back last year but look strong once again this season.
They said they can use that as a beacon of hope for their own quest to improve.
Part of that could include an infusion of young talent, depending on what they do with the 16th-overall pick in June. Bleacher Report’s Paul Kasabian named LSU’s Tari Eason as a potential ready-made asset.
LSU’s sharpshooting leading scorer named an option for Atlanta Hawks in NBA Draft
Eason just completed his sophomore season for the 22-12 Tigers who lost their first-round matchup against Iowa State in the NCAA Tournament 59-54. He had 18 points on 55.6% shooting with four rebounds in that game and averaged 17.3 points on 53.3% shooting in the postseason.
His deep-ball betrayed him during that stretch with Eason hitting just 2-of-8 threes. He averaged 16.9 points and 6.6 boards during the regular season while shooting 52.1% from the floor.
"Tari Eason…played his first season at Cincinnati before transferring to LSU, improved dramatically behind the three-point line year-to-year. The 20-year-old shot 35.9 percent from beyond the arc after hitting just 24.1 percent of threes the year before. He’s also an active defender, amassing 1.9 steals per game."
Additionally, Eason averaged 1.2 blocks per game in his collegiate career.
More length on the wings has to be a priority with only De’Andre Hunter and Delon Wright to stick on opposing scoring threats with any confidence.
TARI EASON. ON HIS HEAD 🔥 @LSUBasketball #SCtop10 pic.twitter.com/WKvmmy3CPP
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 9, 2022
Eason is currently projected to go 10th to the Washington Wizards, per Tanktathon.com. The Hawks are projected to take Baylor’s Jeremy Sochan, so they will need a little luck if they do indeed want to target the Tigers’ wing.
Of course, the bigger issue could be for Eason were he to land with the Hawks. Nate McMillan is notoriously unwilling to give out minutes to young players, a point of contention for some within the organization.
If the quick exit taught McMillan and the Hawks anything, though, it should be that there is room for change. Eason – along with Jalen Johnson in his second year – could be a part of that.