Atlanta’s path to another useful draft haul may be coming together for all the wrong reasons in New Orleans.
The Pelicans have spent the last several seasons dealing with the same issue inside, and their current pairing of Yves Missi and Derik Queen does not appear to solve it. At best, that duo looks painfully one-dimensional.
At worst, it looks completely dysfunctional. If that weakness shows up again, the Hawks could end up benefiting once more.
This season, Atlanta holds the Pelicans’ pick in a roundabout way, and the way New Orleans handles its frontcourt could shape what that selection looks like. If the Pelicans keep stumbling near the bottom of the Western Conference, the Hawks are positioned to land another valuable lottery pick.
The bigger draft wrinkle comes in 2027, when Atlanta does not control its own first-rounder. The Hawks traded that away in the Dejounte Murray deal with the San Antonio Spurs some years ago.
What they do have is the worse of the Pelicans’ and Bucks’ first-round picks, with protection for selections 1-4. If both picks land in the top four, New Orleans gets exclusive rights to both.
Milwaukee’s trade of Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat only helped Atlanta’s outlook there. Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, and Jaime Jaquez are all talented players, but the expectation is that the Bucks will not make a meaningful jump from their already rough season.
That leaves New Orleans as the key variable, and the concern is familiar. The Pelicans have long been vulnerable on the interior during the Zion Williamson era.
Since Anthony Davis left, they have not had an elite rim protector to balance Williamson’s scoring around the basket. Williamson’s offense is a problem for opponents, but his defensive effort and his inability to stay on the floor for 82 games have kept the paint a problem area for New Orleans.
Missi and Queen are supposed to be the next answers at center after another quiet offseason, but each comes with a major hole. Missi gives the Pelicans real value defensively around the rim and on the glass, but he does not offer enough offensively to tilt the floor. Queen brings eye-catching scoring, but if his defense stays as leaky as it was in his rookie campaign, that production loses a lot of its shine.
If that frontcourt still cannot hold up, Atlanta should be in line for another pick in the 5-10 range next year. For Hawks fans, that means another season of tracking the lottery and watching the Pelicans’ problems with interest.
In Other News...
Hawks Face A Roster Squeeze If This Big Man Hits The Market
Moussa Cisses name is starting to circulate as the Mavericks weigh their roster ahead of the October 19 deadline, and that has put a handful of teams on alert. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Bulls, Hawks, Lakers and 76ers are among the clubs keeping an eye on the big man if Dallas decides to waive him, with the appeal centered on a low-risk chance to add size before the season fully gets going.
For Atlanta, the interest is easy to understand. The Hawks are always looking for help in the frontcourt, and a player like Cisse would at least give them another option to evaluate if he becomes available. The wrinkle is fit and timing, since a roster move would have to be made first, and Atlantas own big-man picture has already been affected by Henri Veesars offseason ACL injury, which could factor into whether Cisse eventually has a realistic path to minutes if the opportunity opens. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Face A Costly Onyeka Okongwu Decision This Week
Onyeka Okongwu enters his seventh NBA season with an important issue hanging over the Hawks front office, and it comes with a deadline attached. Atlanta has to decide whether to lock in its young center with a contract extension now or hold off and let the season play out, a choice that puts his value, his role and the teams long-term cap planning under the same microscope.
For the Hawks, this is more than a routine roster conversation. Okongwu has developed into a key part of their frontcourt picture, but the organization still has to balance his strengths and weaknesses against the financial flexibility it wants to preserve for the rest of the roster. The decision could shape not just what he costs, but how Atlanta manages its future payroll as this core continues to take form. [Read more 🡒]
Kingston Flemings Is Putting Real Pressure On Atlanta's Starting Five
Kingston Flemings has done more than just look comfortable in summer league and preseason, he has given Atlanta something to think about. His playmaking has stood out, and the clean way he has handled the ball has only added to the sense that he belongs in the conversation around the Hawks rotation as the season gets closer.
The bigger question is how far that momentum can carry once the games count. There is already speculation that Flemings could work his way into the starting lineup if his regular-season play keeps matching what he has shown so far, which would force a tougher decision on the guard group and open the door to a very different role for an established veteran. For now, it is just pressure, but it is the kind that can change a depth chart quickly. [Read more 🡒]