On Sunday, the Atlanta sports scene was once again at the top of the national headlines as the Hawks won the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery. This is the first time in franchise history since the inception of the lottery. There has been some negative feedback from Atlanta fans who believe this year’s draft class does not have notable enough names to be excited about.
“Every single one of those talking points for the Hawks has now changed,” Drew Butler told Steak Shapiro referring to past conversations the two have had about the Hawks offseason and what roster moves they could be considering.
“Think about what we were talking about weeks ago which is moving Trae Young, you don’t have any assets, you don’t have any No. 1 picks, you gave up three for Dejounte Murray," Shapiro said. "If you’re not in rebuild mode, you’re reshaping the entire roster."
Despite the notion that the 2024 NBA draft class is one of less-intriguing players, Steak notes that he believes Atlanta is now in a position that has the potential to change the future of the franchise for the better.
“Now, you are really sitting on a bevy of assets,” Shapiro said as he explained how drawing the No. 1 pick presents a number of options for the Hawks to improve the franchise.
“We now have leverage and assets,” Shapiro added as he discussed potential scenarios that could include the Hawks trading either Trae Young or Dejounte Murray for another first-round or future No. 1 pick while drafting Alex Sarr, a 7-foot-1 big that is reported to be a true talent on both ends of the court.
“I think that’s where it’s going to all trend is to take Alex Sarr at No. 1,” Shapiro added.