The Atlanta Hawks have drafted really well over the last few seasons. They missed out on the 2016 NBA draft due to having a late pick. However, they then took franchise cornerstone pieces John Collins and Trae Young in successive drafts which set the team up for success for many seasons to come.
Then came the 2019 NBA draft where they had two selections in the first round. With the eighth pick, they chose Jaxson Hayes before trading him to the New Orleans Pelicans, basically receiving De’Andre Hunter in return. Hunter, the fourth pick in the draft had been selected by the Los Angeles Lakers before being sent to the Pelicans as part of the Anthony Davis trade.
The other selection they made was Cam Reddish who they took with the tenth pick in the draft. They had received this pick as a result of the Young/Luka Doncic trade that they made on the night of the draft the previous year.
So, who would the Atlanta Hawks have selected in the re-draft?
Well, according to Bleacher Report scribe Grant Hughes the Hawks should have taken Brandon Clarke with the eighth pick in the draft. Clarke was originally selected with the 21st pick in the draft. He was then traded to the Memphis Grizzlies for Darius Bazley.
The issue here is that the Pelicans had selected Williamson with the first pick of the draft and therefore would probably not want another power forward from the same draft. This means that the Hawks would have not been able to make the deal to land their third future cornerstone De’Andre Hunter. This is definitely a point against selecting Clarke.
The second selection makes even less sense for the Hawks. Hughes suggests that they take Darius Garland with the tenth pick. History tells us that Garland has been really effective for the Cleveland Cavaliers but given that the Hawks had taken Young the season before, this would not fill any significant position of need.
If the Hawks were going to select according to need with this pick then Eric Paschall or Luguentz Dort would be the better choice.