6. Atlanta Hawks, Onyeka Okongwu
Grade: B
Now, this is juicy! The Atlanta Hawks tried, and failed, to trade their pick in this draft and were looking at ways to bolster their roster in the short-term. Luckily for Hawks fans, they didn’t and it’s great for the future of the team.
Okongwu plays the same position as Clint Capela who just came into the fold and is yet to wear a Hawks jersey in a game, but Clint isn’t elite enough to not look into a future without him. He has three seasons remaining on his contract, including the upcoming one, and the Hawks can play things slow with their rookie, have him be a backup in his early years and hopefully take the starting role as he grows.
Then why didn’t I give this an ‘A’ rating?
Maybe the remaining guards on the board have higher ceilings? And for the same reason Golden State and Minnesota lose marks, so do the Hawks. They’ll be kicking themselves if Killian Hayes or Tyrese Haliburton becomes a better player and they didn’t draft him.