The Atlanta Hawks caught another break coming off their historic season-ending loss to the Miami Heat in the Play-In Tournament and the firing of general manager Landry Fields.
The NBA announced the winners of the tiebreakers, coin flips to determine draft positioning.
The Hawks will hold the No. 13 overall pick – if it conveys – and the No. 22 overall pick courtesy of the Los Angeles Lakers, via the New Orleans Pelicans. Notably, Fields executed the trade for the pick.
Atlanta benefited from coin flips in both situations.
The Lakers’ pick could have landed anywhere from the 22nd spot, where it ended, and No. 26 overall. The proximity of the two picks could allow the Hawks some upward mobility in the draft or even allow them to package them for a ready-made contributor.
With expenses a focus in the long term and a lack of control of their own first-round picks, it might make sense for the Hawks to continue to build the roster to win now.
Another pair of young prospects could take years to contribute in a meaningful way.
Whatever direction the eventual front office decides to go in, they can rest assured that they have a pair of promising wings in Johnson and Risacher, and an All-Star player in Trae Young, so long as both sides remain in the other’s plans.
Hawks ‘win’ for losing in pre-draft coin flip
Atlanta lost the coin flip to the Sacramento Kings, with both teams finishing their seasons 40 and 42. However, by losing that coin flip, the Hawks actually came out in an advantageous position.
“Kings won tiebreaker with Hawks (which means the Hawks ‘won’ or got desired result, because Hawks pick is going to the Spurs),” NBA.com's Kevin Chouinard posted on X on April 21.
“Hawks will have 96.2 percent chance of getting pick to convey.”
The Hawks have been sitting on the rights to this selection since 2022, when they traded Kevin Huerter to the Sacramento Kings. Nearly three years later, and most of the figures from that team and now front office are now gone.
The Hawks have found value at all stages of the draft. Rookie No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher looks to be a promising prospect.
Jalen Johnson, No. 20 in 2021, is on an All-Star trajectory.
Former top-10 pick Dyson Daniels, whom the Hawks did not draft but rather acquired in a trade with New Orleans Pelicans, is vying for 2 separate awards this season. The Hawks have a lot of questions to answer.
Most notable among them is who will fill their re-created president of basketball operations role as well as the future of several parts of their roster, including Young.
Young has not pushed for trade.
Moreover, he has said that he is invested in helping bring a young team along. The Hawks’ front office, though, could see things differently, given they’re reluctance to pay into the luxury tax and Young’s extension-eligibility this offseason.
Furthermore, Young has a player option for the final year of his current contract, which expires following the 2026-27 season, but could see the PG hit unrestricted free agency one year early.
The Hawks “won” a better chance at another asset by losing the coin flip with the Kings.
This is more clarity in a process that has very little, which has to be of additional value for the Hawks today, given all that lies ahead of them that remains uncertain. Day 1 of the 2025 NBA Draft is on June 25.