The Trae Young era with the Atlanta Hawks is over, officially paving the way for Jalen Johnson to take over. And when the summer rolls around, the team will add another young star to its roster. In Christopher Kline's latest mock draft for FanSided, the Hawks land 18-year-old BYU forward AJ Dybantsa at No. 3 in the pick they received from the Pelicans.
So, for the fans who are mourning the loss of Trae, especially for a package consisting of CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, it's time to look forward to what's to come. Atlanta got unbelievably lucky when New Orleans sent a 2026 unprotected first-round pick (the more favorable between the Pelicans and the Bucks).
The Pelicans are 8-31, last in the West, and the Bucks are 16-21, so it's looking more and more like the pick will reflect New Orleans' record at the draft lottery. The Hawks could have a 14 percent chance, the highest possible percentage, at the No. 1 pick. Selecting Dybantsa at No. 3 wouldn't be so bad, either.
The six-foot-nine wing is averaging 23.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.5 steals per game for the Cougars on 58.3/35/75.4 shooting splits. Dybantsa is averaging a whopping 8.4 free throws per game, showcasing his explosiveness in getting downhill and the ability to take advantage of off-balance defenders. That will serve him well at the next level.
Hawks select AJ Dybantsa with No. 3 pick in FanSided mock draft
Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and Darryn Peterson will go in the top three in the draft; it's just a matter of which order. Leaving the draft with any player from that trio would be worthy of celebration for Atlanta.
As Kline noted in the mock draft, he needs "to figure it out on defense," as in he needs to use his length to disrupt plays more often. Dybantsa has the tools to do that, but he needs to piece them together. If he starts to do that, he'll boost his draft stock even more.
Atlanta fans should already be daydreaming about watching Dybantsa play alongside Johnson. In the meantime, fans can enjoy watching the maybe soon-to-be Hawk star for BYU as the Cougars get into the thick of conference play, with their next game taking place on Saturday against Utah. March Madness is right around the corner, too.
To think that eight months ago, Atlanta had no idea that it'd be one of the biggest winners from the 2025 draft. That will carry over into June, when the Hawks capitalize on the Pelicans' mismanagement.