The Atlanta Hawks have invited six players to pre-draft workouts, four of them are forwards and two guards. Given that the Hawks extended Clint Capela this season and are really happy with the play of second-year man Onyeka Okongwu it is unlikely that many centers will pass through State Farm Arena prior to the draft.
The Hawks had a fairly deep squad last season, but they had issues with their backup point guard position which caused a few issues as the season went on. They were alleviated by Cam Reddish being traded and Delon Wright gaining confidence in his role.
Even though Wright has expressed a desire to return to the Hawks, there are currently salary constraints which may stop him from coming back. There is also a potential that Lou Williams has played his last NBA game The Hawks may need to replenish their guard stocks through the draft.
Let’s take a look at the two guards the Atlanta Hawks are trying out
This is the first pre-draft workout that the Hawks are hosting and the first guard on the ticket is Michael Devoe, a 6’5″ guard out of Georgia Tech. Devoe spend the full four years in college, improving his averages every season. He is projected to go as a potential second-round pick but is only ranked as the 23rd best shooting guard in the draft class per NBA Draft Room.
The second guard the Hawks are trying out in their pre-draft workout is the 6’5″ guard Will Richardson out of Oregon. He is another four-year guard who improved every season but his numbers were lower than Devoe’s.
Last season, before Richardson decided not to nominate for the 2021 NBA Draft, he was seen to be a late second-round pick. He has not improved enough in his fourth year of college to move the needle very far in terms of draft position.
If the Hawks do not draft Richardson then it is unlikely the guard will be a part of this franchise. However, the Hawks have shown some good loyalty to their home grown talent by signing them to their G League affiliate the College Park Skyhawks which is where Devoe may end up next season, possibly on a two-way deal.