NBA Draft Rumors: Hawks May Consider Trading 6th Pick To Give Young Help

The Atlanta Hawks know there is work to do if they are to finally make a good NBA run. With Trae Young leading the way, all head coach Lloyd Pierce needs is to push his other players to follow the 22-year-old guard’s lead.

The Hawks do have a good supporting cast. Leading those names are John Collins, De’Andre Hunter Kevin Huerter and Cam Reddish. They also have a pair of good big men in Clint Capella and Dewayne Dedmon. With those names in the mix, there is reason to believe that the Hawks could be a team to reckon with this 2020-21 season.

But of course, improving the roster does not stop there. The Hawks will pick sixth overall in the 2020 NBA Draft and could take in another young player. Among the names they can consider include Tyrese Haliburton, Obi Toppin, Killian Hayes, Isaac Okoro and Deni Avdija. Pierce needs added firepower and these are guys who can score based on scouting reports.

But the better question now is whether the Hawks should keep their pick or trade it away. There is a chance they will listen to offers if the offer is right, The Ringer reported. The top three names for the 2020 NBA Draft are Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball and James Wiseman. Unless Atlanta is willing to trade up, they will have to settle for names among the ones mentioned earlier.

The Hawks could also stay the course. They do have roughly $43 million in cap space, meaning they could easily take in some of the big names in free agency. Gordon Hayward has been mentioned although questions are in the air on his ability to stay healthy.

Another plausible choice is Kentavious Caldwell-Pope of the newly crowned NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. Caldwell-Pope will explore the market and some teams were awed by his NBA Finals performance. It would be best to note as well that KCP is no stranger to stepping up as a starter and the Hawks could be his ticket back to establishing that role.

Hence, the Hawks' intentions are clear. They want to make the NBA playoffs after three years of falling short. They advanced during the 2016-17 NBA wars in the first-round. The last time they made the Eastern Conference finals was during the 2014-15 season, bowing to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Could this year be different?