The Atlanta Hawks selected Duke forward Jalen Johnson with the 20th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
The many rumors swirling pre-draft that the Hawks would make a draft-day trade in an attempt to move up in the draft were just that, rumors. Atlanta stood pat at 20 and took Johnson, who averaged 11.2 points per game in one season with the Blue Devils.
As the Hawks were on the clock, Jay Bilas, a former Duke star himself, called Johnson a "top-5 talent coming into the season," and a "lottery talent during the season."
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That's high praise for a pick at 20. The book on Johnson is that he'll need to come to Atlanta and work on his shooting. He's a polished passer and good on the boards.
There also may be a logjam of players on the Atlanta roster that play similarly to Johnson or fill like roles. The Hawks may still be maneuvering in this draft or setting plans in motion for later.