6 Prospects make up first wave of Atlanta Hawks pre-draft workouts

The postseason continued to roll on without the Atlanta Hawks who are beginning the first phase of their offseason. They are set to host Miami tweener big man Norchad Omier on May 8 but, before that, Atlanta will host six prospects for pre-draft workouts on Monday (May 7), per Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com.

Atlanta holds the No. 15 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, though not all of the prospects will be first-round picks and some might even remove themselves from consideration with several retaining eligibility.

One of those who is keeping his options open is Penn guard Jordan Dingle who also entered the transfer portal.

Jordan Dingle – G – Penn – 6-foot-3 – 200lbs

Dingle averaged 23.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in his third season for the Quakers.

It is his second consecutive season averaging over 20.0 points per game and came on .464/.356/.856 efficiency. A two-time All-Ivy selection during the regular season and conference tournament, he was named the conference’s Player of the Year for the 2022-23 season and won Rookie of the Year following the 2019-20 season.

He went for 19 points and six assists in Penn’s lone Ive League Tournament game and was the second-leading scorer in the nation this past year.

As it stands, Indiana has already been linked to him.

The Hawks don’t have an immediate need for a young guard in the pipelines but Dingle is not the only one that will work out for them on Monday.

Jarkel Joiner – G – NC State – 6-foot-1 – 180lbs

While Dingle was experienced as a junior technically in his fourth season, Jarkel Joiner is a sixth-year player who spent two years at Cal State Bakersfield and three years at Ole Miss before helping the Wolf Pack get to the NCAA Tournament this past season.

Joiner finished second on the team averaging 17 points on 42.8% shooting overall and 35.4% from beyond the arc. He added 4.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.3 steals to just 1.4 turnovers this past season and was named to the All-ACC Second Team also capping his career at CSB with an All-Conference selection as well, earning first-team honors in 2018-19.

He attended a workout with one of the Hawks’ division rivals, the Charlotte Hornets on May 2 as they kicked off their offseason workout slate as well.

Since he is an upper (upper) classman, Joiner is indeed entering the draft but the expectation is that he goes undrafted. As could be the case with Dingle, however, that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be sought after.

“Overall, Joiner is a skilled, agile playmaker that can shoot and pass the basketball,” writes Alan Lu of NBA Scouting Live after observing State’s win over Duke on January 4. “He is a talented player that may have what it takes to make it in the NBA.”

Joiner had 21 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and two steals in that contest. He went off for 26 points and eight rebounds in the rematch on February 28.

However, the Hawks already tried the smallish guard with the questionable jump shot last season with homegrown product Sharife Cooper who found his way into the Cleveland Cavaliers last season after being waived over the summer. Joiner is a better shooter but his limitations will only be amplified at the next level much in the way they have for Trae Young, namely on defense.

Taevion Kinsey – G – Marshall – 6-Foot-5 – 185lbs

Atlanta’s parade of guards continues, though Marshall’s Taevion Kinsey does have a notable size advantage over either Dingle or Joiner. A fifth-year senior, Kinsey is a three-time All-Conference USA selection and was named to the 2022-23 Sun Belt Player of the Year after averaging 22.1 points, 5.4 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.7 steals for the Thundering Herd.

Kinsey is also the most efficient entrant on the list so far shooting 54.2% overall and 40.4% from downtown. He’s also a fairly impressive athlete with the ability to pull off some highlight real in-game dunks.

“Kinsey isn’t a household name,” notes NBA Draft Room. “But he’s got the makings of an NBA player with some first-round potential.”

He stepped his game up during the Herd’s five-game winning streak from February 9 to February 22, averaging 26.4 points on 63% shooting (66.% 3P) with 5.0 boards, 4.4 assists, and 1.4 steals. Kinsey dropped 18 points, snagged eight rebounds, and dished out six assists while also swiping a steal in Marshall’s Sun Belt Conference Tournament loss to Texas State.

Kinsey has a lot of the traits that current Hawks guard Dejounte Murray has – long with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, athletic, and has a knack for getting into passing lanes. He also became Marshall’s all-time leading scorer this past season.

While he’s known as a scorer and for his explosive athleticism, Kinsey also improved on the defensive end which is not insignificant given the Hawks’ needs going into the offseason.

Tramon Mark – G – Houston – 6-foot-5 – 180lbs

This is an interesting case for several reasons not the least of which is that Houston guard – an early theme here – Tramon Mark has already committed to the University of Arkansas but is still testing the NBA Draft waters.

The other potential issue is that Mark did not show much improvement from a statistical standpoint this season averaging exactly 10.1 points for the second year in a row.

He more than doubled his rebounds to 4.9 per game this season but his assists dropped. His efficiency was similar as he was less effective overall but knocked down threes at a higher rate than the 2021-22 season all of which makes it tougher to evaluate going into such a controlled setting.

Big shot ability is always in demand and Mark has proven to have the confidence to take those shots and, more importantly, the ability to make them. A draft slot is still unlikely and seemingly unexpected given his commitment to another program but it only takes one team to fall in love with a prospect to alter the draft or even post-draft landscape.

“The 6-5 guard is a great defender who averaged 10.1 points over the past two seasons,” wrote David Cobb of CBS Sports about Mark’s fit at Arkansas. “Though he is just a 30% career 3-point shooter, he has the tools and pedigree to be an impact player.”

While the college game and the NBA are vastly different, you can’t teach athleticism and tenacity both of which Mark has.

Olivier Nkamhoua – F – Tennessee – 6-foot-8 – 223lbs

Our first frontcourt player, Olivier Nkamhoua is a big-bodies modern big man much in the way of Omier, though he comes with far less production to bolster his draft stock. As it stands, the fourth-year man is also on the list of players retaining eligibility through the draft process by not hiring an agent.

Nkamhoua averaged 10.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists last season shooting 51.3% from the floor, 33.3% from three-point land, and 69.9% from the charity stripe. After seeing a dip in his playing time from his freshman to his junior year, he showed steady improvement.

“He’s big enough to play the five in most systems but versatile enough to defend power forwards and some wings,” notes Cobb.

He could help provide a boost in second-chance points down the road.

Nkamhoua did step his game up a bit in the NBA Tournament averaging 13.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while knocking down 44.4% of his looks from deep.

Again, players that are willing to step up in the big moments will always be coveted.

Nkamhoua became just the sixth Volunteer ever to average at least 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in a season joining the likes of Hall of Famer Bernard King and current Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams, per Ben McKee of 247 Sports.

As has been the case with all of these prospects, the expectation is they go undrafted but anything can happen and teams can never have too much information on a player.

Anton Watson – F – Gonzaga – 6-foot-8 – 225lbs

Gonzaga’s Anton Watson has an NBA-ready body and gained plenty of experience from a quality program. He was one of the 50 players invited to the NBA’s G League Elite Camp on May 13-14.

Watson averaged 11.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while also snagging 1.8 steals for the Bull Dogs who made it to the Elite 8 this past year.

He’s shown a nice ability to finish through contact.

Watson averaged 9.3 points and 9.5 boards in the NCAA Tournament also chipping in 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks.

“Watson has a broad base, a thick frame, and natural strength. He can score on the low block and hit from outside and he’s also a polished passer,” notes NBA Draft Room. “While not the fastest athlete Watson has enough lateral agility and foot-speed to guard in space.”

The Hawks have a few wing options on hand and, if they choose to dip their toes in the trade waters this summer, they could have to part with some. While Watson is like the rest of the list as a likely undrafted free agent should he stay in the draft, he could find himself on a two-way contract as an injury or illness replacement as we have seen in recent years.

None of these players are priority draftees and the possibility that all of them return to school next season exists.

Still, it is a notable next step in a critical offseason for the Hawks.