The NBA landscape is always shifting-fast, unpredictable, and often unforgiving. For decision-makers like Atlanta Hawks executive Onsi Saleh, staying ahead of those shifts isn’t just part of the job-it is the job. And so far, Saleh’s shown he’s got a sharp eye for timing and value, a crucial trait in a league where fortunes can swing with a single injury or a sudden hot streak.
Right now, though, Saleh’s facing a tricky situation. The value of Atlanta’s much-discussed Pelicans/Bucks draft pick is trending in the wrong direction.
The Pelicans have caught fire in the last two weeks, and that surge is directly eating into the pick’s upside. Add in the growing possibility that Milwaukee holds onto Giannis Antetokounmpo rather than dealing him, and that pick-once a potential golden ticket-is starting to look a little more like a scratch-off with fading odds.
But the Pelicans aren’t the only variable in play here. Just a week ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder looked like the NBA’s next great juggernaut.
They were rolling through opponents, looking every bit like a team on the verge of a deep postseason run. For rival GMs, that kind of dominance can be a deterrent.
Why mortgage the future for a veteran star if OKC’s youth movement is about to take over the league?
Then came the stumble.
The Thunder have dropped three games over the past couple of weeks, including a lopsided loss to the Spurs on December 23rd. That blowout wasn’t just a bad night at the office-it was a reminder that even the league’s hottest young teams can get punched in the mouth. And when you dig a little deeper, the cracks start to show.
Oklahoma City has benefited from the NBA’s softest schedule so far this season. That’s not conjecture-it’s backed by the numbers.
Their remaining strength of schedule (SOS) is the toughest in the league, sitting at a daunting .543. For context, the rest of the NBA’s teams fall between .471 and .513.
Only Denver’s remaining slate is in the same ballpark in terms of difficulty.
So what does that mean for Atlanta?
It means the Thunder’s early dominance might not be as sustainable as it seemed. The schedule is about to get real, and if OKC isn’t ready for the grind, their grip on the West could loosen.
That opens the door-however slightly-for a team like the Hawks to make a bold move. If Saleh sees the Thunder coming back to earth, the calculus changes.
Suddenly, adding a top-tier star like Anthony Davis or Giannis doesn’t feel so far-fetched. It starts to look like a legitimate path to contention.
Then there’s New Orleans. While the Thunder’s trajectory is facing questions, the Pelicans are trending in the opposite direction. They’re surging-and they’re not even at full strength.
Zion Williamson is being brought along carefully after his injury, but even in limited minutes, he’s making an impact. And help is on the way. Former All-Star-and former Hawk-Dejounte Murray is expected to return soon, giving New Orleans another weapon in an already dangerous lineup.
With Zion, Murray, and a deep core of young talent, the Pelicans are starting to look like a team that’s not just peaking-they’re still rising. The longer they stay hot, the lower the value of that Pelicans/Bucks pick drops. And that puts pressure on Atlanta to act sooner rather than later.
For Saleh, this is a classic NBA front office dilemma: wait and risk your assets losing value, or strike now and gamble on a win-now piece. If the Hawks want to climb out of the play-in logjam and into serious playoff positioning, they may need to push their chips in soon.
Because in today’s NBA, the storm never stops. You either navigate the chaos-or get swept away by it.