The Atlanta Hawks might not stand out as a team that could be in the market for a big man this offseason, but that is the direction a new mock draft would see them go following the deadline for players to withdraw on Wednesday.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman projected the Hawks to select Maryland’s Derik Queen with the No. 13 overall pick.
Queen has been on a rollercoaster ride as far as his draft projections.
He was a projected second-round pick in Sam Vecenie’s preseason draft big board for The Athletic from December. By January, Venceine moved Queen up to the No. 15 overall pick in his mock draft.
Then came the NBA combine earlier this month, and Queen moved up to No. 6 in Vecenie’s mock.
However, as the combine went on, Queen’s stock took a hit.
Derik Queen's body of work vs combine workouts
“Derik Queen didn’t help himself at the NBA combine, registering the slowest sprint time since 2022 and ranking second-to-last in lane agility, shuttle run and both vertical jumps. That could sway top-10 teams to hesitate and allow a late-lottery team a chance to draft the highest-skilled true big man in the field,” Wasserman wrote on May 29.
“Queen would give Atlanta another option to feature in the half court, where he’s polished from the post, a functional ball-handler in space and a plus-passing presence.”
Wasserman called Queen a “unique prospect,” citing his “size, scoring, vision, and feel” and his ability to contribute in the halfcourt, notably projecting him for lineups alongside four-time All-Star Trae Young.
His versatility is among his most highly-touted traits.
“Queen is a burly big with guard-like handles who dazzles with spin moves, and crafty finishes,” Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor wrote in March. “If he translates his velvet touch to the perimeter he has offensive star upside, though his interior scoring, playmaking chops, and magnetic rebounding alone give him tantalizing potential.”
Hawks frontcourt in question
The obvious question, particularly relating to Wasserman’s mention of Young, is what Queen’s arrival would be for current starting center Onyeka Okongwu.
Queen would presumably be a replacement for pending unrestricted free agent Clint Capela.
The Hawks could also lose veteran forward Larry Nance Jr. in free agency, though they are expected to at least attempt to retain him this offseason. The writing has seemingly been on the wall for Capela since the Hawks went to Okongwu as the starter during the season.