The Atlanta Hawks made a sensational trade with the New Orleans Pelicans on draft night, swapping the No. 13 pick for the No. 23 pick and a highly valuable 2026 first-round pick. Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh fleeced the Pelicans for a pick they own that will likely become a lottery selection next year.
The Pelicans won just 21 games last season, making them a prime candidate to finish near the bottom of the league yet again. Considering the 2026 NBA Draft class is loaded with premier talent, New Orleans could not have made a riskier gamble on its future.
Most of the NBA world was shocked by Pelicans GM Joe Dumars’ questionable decision-making. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie bashed the Pels, listing them as one of his major losers from the draft.
“What are the Pelicans doing? That’s a question that was asked repeatedly in text messages from other teams following their decision to trade up to No. 13 after selecting Jeremiah Fears at No. 7,” Vecenie wrote in his June 26 article. “This deal was completely absurd. To move up just 10 slots to get Derik Queen, the Pelicans gave up Wednesday’s No. 23 pick and a pick that could very well land in the top 10 next year … ‘This is the worst trade, non-Luka division, that we’ve seen in at least a decade,’ one assistant GM texted me.”
Given New Orleans’ poor position in a loaded Western Conference, the Hawks could easily end up with a top-five pick. If Atlanta lands a high enough pick, the team could end up with a generational talent like AJ Dybantsa and fast-track their championship aspirations.
Leaguewide reaction to Atlanta-New Orleans trade should encourage Hawks fans
For a rival organization’s assistant GM to place New Orleans’ decision in the same ballpark as the Luka Doncic trade should shake Pelicans fans to their core. Dallas’s trade of Doncic will go down as one of the most mind-boggling moves an NBA front office has ever made.
For Hawks fans, the leaguewide reaction should give them plenty of optimism about the deal. Aside from the obvious upside of acquiring New Orleans’ pick, Atlanta’s decision to draft Asa Newell at No. 23 has been perceived by many as the ultimate draft steal.
ESPN insider Shams Charania gave Saleh and the Hawks high praise after their sensational draft.
“I think Atlanta is a big winner this week,” Charania said on The Pat McAfee Show. “Atlanta essentially moved back ten slots and then gets another lottery pick potentially. That was some shrewd movement by their new general manager Onsi Saleh.”
Saleh hasn’t hidden his aggressive mindset in his early days as Atlanta’s primary decision-maker, and he has already assured fans that the Hawks are aware of the options they have at their disposal. Atlanta could get very busy in the trade market and free agency this offseason.
No matter how the rest of their offseason shapes up, Trae Young and the Hawks should be pleased with how Saleh and his team have conducted their early-summer operations. For the Pelicans, disaster could be on the horizon.
If New Orleans performs as poorly as expected next season and secures a high-end lottery pick for Atlanta, June 25 could go down as one of the worst days in franchise history for the Pelicans.