The Atlanta Hawks have been one of the hottest teams in the league since the All-Star Break and are making a huge push to get out of the play-in tournament and into the playoffs for the first time since the 2021 season.
The Hawks are one of the more fortunate teams in the NBA because of their draft situation. While Atlanta is trying to make the playoffs and make a run, they are closely watching the Pelicans and Bucks games to see where their pick could land. Thanks to a trade they made on draft night last summer, the Hawks own the most favorable of the Bucks and Pelicans draft picks and right now, the Pelicans are at No. 7 in the draft lottery and the Bucks are 10th.
Potential Trade
Mar 28, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) drives the ball towards the basket against Atlanta Hawks guard Gabe Vincent (4) during the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
With this draft being viewed as one of the deepest and most talented in years, the Hawks have a chance to land an impact player no matter where the pick lands. However, the top four players in this draft are seen on a different tier of prospect than the others and landing one of them could change the Hawks future.
But if the Hawks pick does not move up into the top four, would they consider a trade that would get them into the top four? A trade idea from Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley would not only land the Hawks inside the top four, but land them a scorer to bolster their bench:
The trade: Atlanta Hawks receive: No. 4 pick and Malik Monk
Sacramento Kings receive: No. 8 pick, 2031 first-round pick swap (top-four protected), Asa Newell and Buddy Hield
Would this trade make sense?
This is an intriguing trade option for the Hawks.
While they are a potential playoff team with talent, the Hawks could really benefit from a jump in the lottery to add one of AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, or Caleb Wilson to pair with Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, and the rest of the team.
If they do this trade and come up to No. 4, it will almost certainly land them Wilson, as Dybantsa, Peterson, and Boozer are expected to be the first three picks of the draft in some order. Wilson is an electric athlete with a strong all-around game and would be a nice fit next to Johnson.
Hield is likely to be a cap casualty this offseason, as he is not even in the Hawks rotation and Newell has shown promise, but is likely just a rotation, backup big.
The question for this trade is if the Hawks want to trade a top four protected pick while also taking on the contract of Monk. Monk’s deal is not horrible, but he has two years left at just over $20 million per year and would give the Hawks another option at guard to come off the bench and provide points. This year aside, Monk has annually been a sixth man of the year candidate and one of the top bench scorers in the NBA.
Whether the Hawks want Monk would likely depend on whether or not they try and retain CJ McCollum. McCollum has been great for the Hawks since arriving in the Trae Young deal and a key part of this late season surge from the Hawks.
I think this would be an option worth considering for Hawks GM Onsi Saleh if it presented itself in the summer, but for now, the focus is on the playoffs and trying to make their mark.