Silver linings are polarizing, but the Atlanta Hawks needed and got one on an otherwise unfortunate night. The Hawks lost to the Miami Heat in the second round of the Play-In Tournament and will head to the offseason.
However, the Western Conference Play-In served as a small bit of consolation.
The Memphis Grizzlies downed the Dallas Mavericks, which will keep the former from dropping down into the lottery.
That would have pushed the Sacramento Kings’ incoming pick down a slot, increasing the odds that it would not have conveyed. Instead of a coinflip for the Nos. 12 – at which the Kings would have retained the pick – and 13, Atlanta and Sacramento will flip for slots 13 and 14.
There remains a chance the Kings’ pick jumps into a spot at which they would get to keep it.
However, NBA.com’s Kevin Chouinard noted the Hawks now have a “roughly” 96% chance of getting the Kings’ first-round pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
The development hardly erases the sting of the Hawks’ loss, nor does it take away from the fact that they must also send out a pick (to the San Antonio Spurs) that could turn in the No. 1 overall selection.
Hawks trade set to finally pay off
The Hawks traded Kevin Huerter to the Kings in 2022 for the pick following their trade for Dejounte Murray from the Spurs. They sought to maintain flexibility under the luxury tax.
Notably, the Hawks were still navigating murky financial waters into this season.
“The Dejounte Murray and De’Andre Hunter trades have taken Atlanta out of financial purgatory. Instead of straddling the luxury tax line like in years past, Atlanta enters the offseason right at the salary cap,” ESPN’s Bobby Marks wrote on April 18. “Besides the possibility of two first-round picks, the Hawks have the flexibility to use their $14.1 million non-tax mid-level exception and still be active in the trade market. Atlanta also has the $5.1 million biannual, veteran minimum and four trade exceptions ($25.3 million, $13.1 million, $3.7 million and $3.5 million).”
The Huerter trade did not pay off for two years by design, and then a third with the Kings failing to make the playoffs in 2024.
All of that has set the Hawks up to be active this offseason.
However, that does not clear up what moves need to be made or what the front office is already considering. And if this pick does not convey this offseason, the protections drop to the top 10 in 2026 before turning into a pair of second-rounders in that draft.