NBA: Power ranking the 17 most dynamic young cores with the highest upside

14. Atlanta Hawks

Young core: Kobe Bufkin, Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher, Onyeka Okongwu

The Atlanta Hawks have been stuck in mediocrity for the past couple of seasons but they've also managed to quietly build out their young core. So whenever they completely pivot toward a rebuild, they'll have young pieces in place to help the team soften the blow. Starting with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Hawks selected Zaccharie Risacher as a potential versatile wing star player who could help carry the franchise into the next chapter. Whether he'll reach his potential or not remains to be seen, but he's one of the most valuable assets on their roster heading into the season.

Kobe Bufkin didn't see the floor much during his rookie year but he still has the potential to evolve into a star in the next couple of seasons and after the trade of Dejounte Murray, you'd have to imagine he's going to see more minutes. It's easy to forget Onyeka Okongwu but he's still a fairly young player on the team.

Finally, there's Jalen Johnson who was considered to be the team's only untouchable player on the roster heading into the offseason. He's clearly a valued player on the team.