No other team came close to reaching the Mavericks' luck on draft lottery night when they received the No. 1 pick, but on draft night, the Atlanta Hawks were the lucky ones. New Orleans offered Atlanta an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to trade up to No. 13, with the Hawks sliding down to No. 23. Atlanta happily obliged.
We all know what happened after that. The Pelicans selected Derick Queen with the Hawks' pick, and Atlanta drafted Asa Newell.
On Monday morning, Kevin O'Connor issued yet another reminder of just how lucky the Hawks got, saying they were considering selecting Newell with the No. 13 pick before the Pelicans called. Newell was still on the board at No. 23, so, really, it's like Atlanta gave up nothing at all.
There were rumblings the Hawks were considering Asa Newell at #13. The fact they ended up with him after trading down to #23 AND picked up an unprotected Pelicans first next year is still so mind blowing. https://t.co/kWIjZR6gJP
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnor) October 27, 2025
Speaking of Newell, it took three games (technically two because he didn't play in Atlanta's season-opener against Toronto) for him to record his first-ever NBA double-double, as he finished with 12 points (4-of-9 shooting from the field, 3-of-5 from three), 10 rebounds, and one assist in 25 minutes on Saturday against the Thunder.
Hawks were thinking about getting Asa Newell with No. 13 pick
New Orleans needs Queen to turn into a superstar to justify sending Atlanta an unprotected first-round pick. He arrived in New Orleans under wildly unfair expectations, as there was no reason for the Pelicans to send the Hawks an unprotected first-round pick in next year's draft. New Orleans is 0-2 on the season, one of only two teams in the West that haven't won a game yet.
Whatever the Pelicans were thinking during the first round of the draft doesn't matter. Not anymore, at least. The Hawks have Newell, and odds are they'll have a high lottery pick in next year's draft, all because they moved back 10 spots to draft a player they were already thinking about getting at No. 13.
Even if Newell turns out to be a player the Hawks decide not to keep around (and hopefully that isn't the case!), it won't be that bad because of the pick the Pelicans attached to the trade. Atlanta could use it to add young talent to its core or use it to trade for a star-level player. It's way too early in the season to know what will happen.
It's not too early to say that it's a trade New Orleans never should've made. You could've said that as soon as the trade was announced, and you would've been correct. You know who you will never hear speaking badly about the trade? The Hawks — and for good reason.