As the clock hit 3 PM on the East Coast, the NBA Draft Lottery began with fans across the league waiting with bated breath. One by one, the cards were flipped, and emotions were all over the place. It would only take six card flips to reveal the next step for the Atlanta Hawks front office: they will use the eighth-overall pick to address their shot-creation issues.
It's now up to the front office to find the right rookie
NBA Analyst Jay Bilas declared the 2026 NBA Draft as the most stacked in the last 30 years, and this is a blessing for a Hawks team that just made the playoffs for the first time in three years. A postseason birth was the best result they could ask for after letting go of Trae Young to move forward with Jalen Johnson as their centerpiece.
Trading the four-time All-Star came with its own pros and cons. However, the most detrimental part of Young’s absence is the lack of shot creation. Luckily for General Manager Onsi Saleh, guards are the cream of the crop in this draft, and many pundits have already predicted they’ll select Trae Young’s successor.
It was reported by ESPN reporter Jeremy Woo in a recent mock that Atlanta will draft Louisville star Mikel Brown Jr. Drafting the former McDonald's All-American at the eighth pick would be an absolute steal for the franchise.
He is likely to make an impact from day one, given his skill set and size at 6’5. His offensive specialty lies behind the three-point line, where he shot 34.4% for the Cardinals. It might not seem that high, but he’s shown flashes of a three-point marksman in multiple wins under Pat Kelsey.
Most notably, he drained ten of 16 three-pointers in his 45-point performance against the NC State Wolfpack. Tying Wes Unseld’s record eradicated any doubt about his skill set, and his abilities would work very well under Quin Snyder.
Drafting MBJ would be an absolute dream for the franchise
Snyder can utilize Brown Jr. in multiple ways from the very beginning. He has the ability to create his own shot and opportunities for others. Mikel averaged 18.2 points, 4.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds. He recorded 20+ points and 5+ assists on multiple occasions, leading the Cardinals to a 16-5 record in the 21 games he played in.
His ball handling and playmaking solve a major issue that plagued the Hawks during their playoff series against the New York Knicks. Their backcourt failed to create consistently in the half-court, mostly due to Mike Brown’s defensive adjustments.
When CJ McCollum rested on the bench, the Hawks' guards struggled under NY’s pressure. They needed more scoring from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who averaged just 13.7 points during the postseason after scoring 20.8 per game in the regular season.
It’s not a stretch to say that Mikel has more potential as a scorer, given his intangibles and shooting stroke. Adding him to the rotation adds a proper ball handler and also long-term stability.
Everyone knows that McCollum's future in Atlanta is unclear as he prepares for free agency this summer. During his exit interview on May 1st, the 34-year-old expressed a newfound love for the city he moved to four months ago.
“It's been great [Living in Atlanta]. It's been a really cool experience. There's an adjustment period that we all go through when there's transitions like trades and things like that. It’s a lot on your family. It's a lot on the mind, and you have to adjust. You have to learn a new system, pacing, players, and personalities,” McCollum said. “There's just so much that goes into it. There's a lot of time that it takes for you to get comfortable, and I think it's been a really good fit for me. It's been a great fit for the organization.”
McCollum has certainly said all the right things in front of the media, but if they decide to part ways, Mikel Brown Jr. will fill the void. He could shine in a role off the bench, similar to McCollum when he first arrived in January, or inserted into the starting lineup on opening day next October.
Their starting lineup for the 2026-2027 season would be young, but promising:
PG: Mikel Brown Jr.
SG: Nickeil Allexander-Walker
SF: Dyson Daniels
PF: Jalen Johnson
C: Onyeka Okongwu
It’s normal for lottery picks to start for their franchises, and making Brown Jr. a starter early gives the 20-year-old valuable experience ahead of the 2027 Playoffs. Atlanta now possesses the talent to make the postseason consistently, and they’re expected to return there next spring.
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