Okay, it finally happened. Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the move, heading to Miami in exchange for significant capital. One asset Milwaukee acquired in the deal stands out more than the others: the 13th-overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Having just dealt the greatest player in their franchise's history, it's not ridiculous to assume they'll aim to bring in their next superstar in a loaded class. The only problem, though, is that it's rare to draft a player of that caliber that close to the middle of the first-round. If any team will be looking to make a bold move up the order, it's the Bucks.
While the Atlanta Hawks appear to be comfortable staying put at eight, if Milwaukee makes an aggressive enough offer to move up, they should absolutely entertain it.
Hawks could still land a quality prospect with the 13th pick
Bringing in future draft capital and/or a young player, in addition to the 13th-overall pick, just in exchange for eight, could age extremely well as Atlanta looks to finalize their young core for the future.
The best part about this class is how deep it is. There isn't much drop-off in terms of talent from eight to 13, but this is about Milwaukee trying to acquire the next face of their franchise. This would land them in a perfect spot to potentially bring in Darius Acuff Jr. or Kingston Flemings.
Knowing the Hawks have their starting lineup all but confirmed for next year, bringing in a guy at 13 who would be comfortable in a bench role for the entirety of his rookie season would mean there would be no controversial overlap.
They could choose between Yaxel Lendeborg, Hannes Steinbach, Morez Johnson Jr. or one of the guards who could certainly be available later. Suddenly, Atlanta wouldn't be facing as much pressure to perfectly nail the selection.
Keeping their options open has proven to be successful early-on
Since Quin Snyder took over as head coach several seasons ago, they've shown undeniable improvement each year. Most of their core is established, signaling another leap in the 2026-27 season.
Now, as long as whoever they add on draft night can contribute solid depth minutes, they can continue staying the course and sneaking up on the league's best.
Having patience goes a long way, and while trading down from the top-ten into the late-lottery is often seen as underwhelming to fans, it could be the smartest route to maintaining future flexibility while still adding quality talent.
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