The one huge, and I mean huge, target the Hawks could be looking at.
It’s 2025 NBA Draft Eve, and the rumors, they are a-flyin’. Your Atlanta Hawks own the 13th and 22nd overall picks, but the team could be looking to aim a bit higher if the chance presents itself.
With general manager Onsi Saleh taking over the reins of basketball personnel and operations this offseason, the Hawks could look to be aggressive in trying to reshape its roster in advance of free agency. A lot of the noise has surrounded the center position, this despite the Hawks getting a breakout performance from that position down the stretch of the 2024-25 campaign.
Onyeka Okongwu stepped into a starting role in the latter half of last season, averaging 15 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block per game while shooting 62% from the field and 36% from three from January 20 forward. This was the date of his first start on the season which began a streak of 40 consecutive games started to finish the regular season (prior to sitting out the 82nd game).
But with Clint Capela and Larry Nance Jr. hitting free agency and the Hawks looking to pair a bigger-bodied center with the smaller, more mobile Okongwu, attention has now turned to the draft to try to fill that hole.
Here is the relevant blurb from Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports in his latest mock draft that was last edited today:
13. Atlanta Hawks: Joan Beringer, C, Cedevita Olimpija
League sources say the Hawks are looking to move way up from this pick and have called teams drafting in the top five. They are targeting a center. So if they stay put, it only makes sense to give them Beringer, the best lob threat remaining on the board. Beringer began playing basketball only three years ago, which makes him a raw project, but also makes his natural talents all the more impressive. He is a center, but has the quickness of a guard, giving him immense defensive versatility to build on for years to come.
The key bit of intel is that the Hawks are seeking to move up as they target a center in or around the top five of the draft. One would imagine a lot of focus is toward Khaman Maluach, a 7-foot-2 behemoth from Duke, that is projected to go in the top ten. Fanduel has the betting line placed at over/under 8.5, so the Hawks would have to move up from 13th overall towards that range to reliably have a chance to take him.
Saleh did address how the team saw prioritizing size with respect to Okongwu as they move into the draft, saying in part on Monday, “I think there are ways that you can build a team that you don’t need traditional types of things. In that sense, we do have some long athletic guys which is really interesting for our defense and our playstyle moving forward.”
What do you think the Hawks should do with the two picks?