2025 NBA Draft Lottery Preview: Atlanta Hawks
Rowan Kent and Albert Ghim kick off the yearly No Ceilings lottery previews, starting the 2025 NBA Draft previews with the Atlanta Hawks and the 13th overall pick.
Albert: After landing the number one pick in last year’s draft and taking Zaccharie Risacher, the Hawks are back in the lottery via Sacramento. Risacher had a strong first season for the Hawks, during which he showcased some of his abilities on both ends of the floor. Not only do the Hawks have the 13th pick here, but they also have their pick at 22. Whenever a team has multiple picks in the first round, you can’t help but wonder if there might be some trade potential. The reality of this roster is that it’s weird. They’ve got a new GM coming in after the departure of Landry Fields, and they have some real questions about their roster. They’re probably thrilled with what they found in Dyson Daniels and Risacher on the wings. Jalen Johnson looks like a pillar of their future and could be the one they choose to build around. Trae Young is still spearheading the team, but you have to wonder if they’ll consider moving on from him and handing the reins over to Jalen Johnson. What are they planning to do about their centers? In the midst of all that is a team that may end up with some interesting options at the end of the lottery. Rowan, if you were the GM of this team, what direction would you take with this roster?
Rowan: If I were GM of the Hawks, I’d be wracking my brain over these exact types of questions. For as great as Daniels, Risacher, and Johnson are, unless one of them takes another marked developmental leap, there’s not much to suggest this team can get much better. Atlanta was a middling 17th in net rating this season, but there’s no guarantee that jettisoning Trae Young right now is the right call. Young had his worst shooting season overall as a pro, but he’s still one of the better pure point guards in the game. Unless there’s a pick-rich or star-swap offer on the table, I’d be leery of selling low on Young. That’s a conversation I’d personally revisit at the trade deadline, given his 2026-2027 player option. All of that is to say I’d stay the course just a bit longer, continue to build around the nice nucleus of wings on the roster, and look for an additive piece. The Eastern Conference is wide open for the next year or two, after all. Let’s start with what they could do with the 13th pick. If the Hawks are going to keep Trae Young, they’d likely look for a center to balance out Okongwu’s minutes, a dynamic bench weapon to boost their scoring there, or another ball-handler to take the heat off of Young. Albert, are there any players that fit into those archetypes that you like toward the end of the lottery?
Albert: Before I get into their options at #13, I do want to push back a little bit. I actually believe Jalen Johnson is that good, and more importantly, I think the Hawks agree with me. After a really strong third season, Johnson came out and had a really strong first half last season, where he was averaging 18.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. If it weren’t for the shoulder injury, he probably would have had a monster season. I just wanted to throw that in there, because the Hawks might be looking at Johnson as the future cornerstone of the franchise. With that being said, I do agree with your point on Trae and playing the waiting game with him. Who knows what might happen between now and then? There could be another freak injury somewhere, and some team might overpay because they believe Trae could be the final missing piece to their title-contending squad.
At #13, they should have a range of exciting options to choose from. If you’re looking for a center at that spot, #13 might be the sweet spot to add a dynamic offensive center with a completely different skillset from the centers they currently have on their roster. I think Maxime Raynaud and Danny Wolf would both be great options here for the Hawks. Wolf would be a spicy option because of his floor spacing and ball-handling abilities. This past season for Michigan, Wolf really got the freedom to show off what he could do with the ball in his hands. Michigan pretty much let him play point guard, and it was a ton of fun to watch. Before he arrived in Michigan, Wolf was a floor-spacing five for Yale and had a significant impact in that role as well. Wolf probably won’t be a point center on the next level, but what he can do with the ball in his hands in spurts will be highly valuable to a team looking to be creative on offense. Raynaud won’t offer as much flair on the ball as Wolf, but he can handle the ball very well himself and was an insanely productive player in college last season. Raynaud was an incredible defensive rebounder, with a defensive rebounding percentage of 28.7%. He’s also a very good passer with the ability to space the floor and put it on the deck to attack hard close-outs. Adding either guy at that spot would be a really smart choice for this team.
In terms of another ball-handler or bench weapon, I have a couple of guys that come to mind, but I want to throw it back to you for a second before I go on forever. Guys like Jeremiah Fears, Jase Richardson, Nolan Traore, Cedric Coward, Walter Clayton Jr., and Ben Saraf are all reasonable options at this point in the draft. Where are you at with some of the guys I listed above? Who would you be targeting to add to this roster?
Rowan: You’re right on Johnson, who likely would’ve been a first-time All-Star this season if not for his shoulder injury. His emergence from the Hawks has given them a flexible timeline and centerpiece option for their team if they don’t want to build their franchise around Young anymore. I also think Johnson’s fit next to Risacher and Daniels is quite seamless and helps to boost his case in the team’s plans.
I agree with you on what kinds of centers Atlanta could grab with their 13th pick. Maxwell wrote a great piece on Wolf this week, and I think the versatility on offense that you mention would make the Hawks much more dangerous. Having Johnson and Young as passing options on the floor, alongside him, would make the team a truly dynamic offense. Wolf’s shooting touch and ball-handling are also keys to unlocking a more robust offense for Atlanta, especially as his defense could still use some seasoning.
I love the Raynaud shout as well, and not just because I wrote about him yesterday. He’s a similarly skilled center to Wolf and could fit that same desired offensive archetype that would benefit the Hawks immensely. Both he and Wolf would give Trae Young more angles to attack on screening actions, while also offering reliable passers from the short rol,l too. I like that you mentioned Raynaud’s defensive rebounding as well, because it’s his strongest skill outside of his pure height as a center on defense. Like Wolf, he’ll need to shore up some defensive elements, but either of them being insulated by Daniels, Risacher, and Johnson should mitigate their issues.
Of the ball-handlers you mentioned, I think that Fears and Richardson are some of the higher-upside fits for the team, although I wouldn’t be surprised if neither makes it to the 13th pick. I would love either Traore or Saraf here, as I think that either could fill the role of supporting ball-handler really well. The types of initiator reads, physical advantages, and disciplined attacking of defenses were apparent in both of their games when I examined each of them this past draft season, and each would make Atlanta’s offense more dynamic. If the Hawks want a more pure point guard, they could go with Traore and reap the benefits immediately. If they want a bigger player who could give them some funkier lineups to run, Saraf would be the way to go. Either player, however, would need the ball in their hands enough to get the most out of their games, given that their off-ball offense is less developed at this stage.
In terms of Walter Clayton Jr. and Cedric Coward, both are guys that I also think would excel as supporting pieces for the team. We just saw the instant offense that Clayton Jr. can create during Florida’s title run, which is just what the Hawks need as well. Coward has risen on draft boards during the workout cycle due to his shooting and great frame, but he also has a ton of tape evidence of his scoring punch from his time at Eastern Washington and Washington State.
Albert, which of WCJ or Coward is your favorite at this spot? Could the Hawks wait out the risk of falling to pick #22, or would both be gone? If both are gone, who might Atlanta target with its second pick if it keeps it?
Albert: If the Hawks were lucky enough to see Cedric Coward available at pick #13, they should run up to the podium with him as their pick. I really like WCJ and think he’s going to be a deadly offensive weapon on the next level. Cedric is just the more enticing pick because he’s bigger, has ladders for arms, and is an incredibly impactful defender. When we met Cedric at the LMU gym in Los Angeles, he had absolute mittens for hands to go along with his freakish wingspan. The idea of adding a guy like Coward with his outside shooting ability and versatility on defense would be an absolute dream if you’re sticking with Trae Young as your primary offensive engine. Just imagine a five-man lineup of Trae Young, Cedric Coward, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu. The things you could do on both ends of the floor could really get the fans of Atlanta going.
If Coward isn’t there at 13, WCJ would be a very exciting option as a guy who could be Trae’s backup and offer some serious scoring punch. But really, for me, if Coward isn’t there at #13, I’d feel great about taking Nique Clifford at this spot. With Clifford, you’re getting an extremely versatile guard who can guard multiple positions, rebound the ball at an absurd rate for a guard, and has grown leaps and bounds as a scorer and shooter on the college level. In the same way that Dyson Daniels was able to star in a supporting role this past season for them, I could easily see Clifford having a similar type of impact for them as a guy who will be additive and will not need to see the ball a ton.
The 22nd pick is a fun spot, and when I say fun, I don’t necessarily mean fun. With the monster list of guys deciding to return to college, the depth of this class has taken a pretty significant hit. But as always, there will be guys in this range that will outplay where they’re taken and shock the world with solid or even great careers. One guy I have in mind is someone I think should go a lot higher, but could potentially be here at #22. Liam McNeeley, in my opinion, is a Top 10 talent in this class. If you look at a ton of mainstream boards out there, you’d probably think I’m crazy for suggesting that. I won’t go too long in making my case because I’m writing about McNeeley this week for our site, so you can just read that. The main sell with McNeeley for me is his size, shooting, and feel. I’ve seen a lot of people characterize him as a one-dimensional shooter, but I think that’s wrong. I think he brings so much value for a guy his size who can space the floor, put the ball on the deck, and make plays for others. Mcneeley may never be the spearhead of your offense, but he could become an elite secondary or tertiary option. The ancillary skills with him are at a strong starting point, so with more work, reps, and coaching, I think he can become a more well-rounded wing. Intelligent shooters with good passing feel and off-ball movement ability at his size should be highly valued by people in the league. If he’s there at #22 and Atlanta walks away with some sort of combo of Cedric Coward/Danny Wolf/Maxime Raynaud/ WCJ, and Liam McNeeley, they should be very excited. Before we wrap, Rowan, tell us what your ideal haul would look like for the Hawks at #13 and #22.
Rowan: A Hawks haul of a big and a guard of the caliber we’re talking about is likely impossible, as players like Clayton Jr. and Raynaud are going to get drafted highly rightfully, but it’s what the team should be dreaming of until draft night. I think either a combination of Wolf and McNeeley or Coward/Nique and Raynaud would be the two dream duos on draft night for Atlanta. Either combo would give the Hawks some much-needed depth and would target positions of need, which is as well as you can do as a team drafting in the late lottery.
I do think your point on Atlanta grabbing players who can hit shots from deep and play great defense shouldn’t be lost, despite the Hawks already having a “set” group of wing and forward starters. You can never have too many players with that skill set in today’s NBA, and Coward is just the type of player that the Hawks would love coming off the bench in his rookie year. Nique is that same kind of player, and I too love his game alongside this Hawks core. If the team is genuinely intent on maximizing this configuration around Trae Young, they should continue to hone this player archetype to boost Young’s utility.
While it’s not as flashy as last year’s crazy lottery rise, Atlanta is in a solid position heading into the 2025 NBA Draft. They do stand at the bottom edge of the lottery, but they have enough needs to let the board fall to them and address a weakness. They also should be able to pick from a veritable crop of fliers in the early twenties, although I do agree that “fun” isn’t the word I’d use to describe this section of the draft. Either way, the Hawks will target specific roles for versatility, while also having one of the more versatile draft boards among teams in the lottery.
I am surprised Rasheer Fleming never came up here, feel like he's a very seamless fit in our team. A lot of Hawks fans love Raynaud I like him too so im more interested in him as a center option.
first off, Wolf is hugely overvalued. He cant defend.- And dont tell me he can. No, he's a terrible defender with very slow feet. He can shoot and he's big, but its the same problem as KAT...wolf is like a discount KAT. IF thats what you want. Raynaud may go at 14 to spurs since he's friends (apparently good friends) with Wemby. WC jr is being over valued now , too. Does defense never occur to pundits? Wolf and raynaud are both sub defenders. Raynaud is decent, and has better instincts Id say. But maybe take Sorber? Gives you defense. Maybe not much offense.But geez....but how about thinking D. Sorber is also very smart, and very young still or...take joan Beringer or maybe even essengue. Atlanta sucks hard on defense, guys. JJ(and i was one of the people screaming how good jalen johnson was at duke...amazing he fell in the draft....i mean go look at his, admittedly few, games at duke....he was GREAT)so prioritize defense. Clayton is not a future star. He can be good-ish...though a problem on defense. Traore is maybe a more interesting pick. But will need time. I agree coward is worth taking a flyer on. And honestly if Egor Demin is there, SNATCH HIM !!! I just hope ATL thinks differently than this discussion.