As the Atlanta Hawks transition from developing young players to competing for the playoffs, they need to strengthen their depth. They relied on Georges Niang and Mouhamed Gueye at power forward minutes, but both have their flaws on one side of the ball compared to Jalen Johnson. Clint Capela and Larry Nance Jr. also missed the final 17 and 28 games of the campaign respectively. This forced Atlanta to experiment with Dominick Barlow, who only appeared in 35 games, at the backup center. The Hawks can select two rookies with the 13th and 22nd picks in the 2025 NBA Draft to address future depth concerns.
Trading Up In The Draft Presents Risks The Hawks Should Not Take
Young Teams Often Struggle When a Star Goes Down
The Hawks made headlines throughout this season regarding their young core. Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu are certainly a promising quintet. However, their youth, depth, and inability to remain in the playoff hunt showed after Johnson went down. Younger teams often lack reliable replacements after injuries to key contributors. For example, Kristaps Porzingis only played 42 games this season. The Boston Celtics still finished second in the Eastern Conference. The Indiana Pacers’ bench, including Obi Toppin, T.J. McConnell, and Ben Sheppard, has been critical to their success throughout this NBA Finals run. Atlanta does not have this luxury.
The Hawks sat at 22-22 after January 23 when Johnson suffered a torn labrum. De’Andre Hunter stepped in Johnson’s place, but he was later traded at the deadline for future financial flexibility. Atlanta did not have other consistent options to fill the void at power forward. Despite great fits like Khaman Maluach appearing in the top 10, the Hawks should avoid packaging both picks and moving up. When the Hawks are poised for playoff runs, they will need reliable options off the bench. This deep draft possesses many prospects who can help the Hawks early in their careers.
Hawks Have Upside and Higher Floor Picks Available
At pick 22, Atlanta could look at Nique Clifford if available. The former Colorado State University guard averaged 18.9 points, 4.4 assists, and shot 37.7% from deep on 4.9 attempts per game. He impressively pulled down 9.6 rebounds this past season. That is an average rarely seen from perimeter players. The 6-foot-5-inch guard is comfortable around the rim and beyond the arc.
Nique Clifford
Polished scorer
Fluid athlete
High motor
Connective playmaker
Versatile defenderEfficient two-way guard who plays with an edge and loves to crash the glass. The kind of player any team would love to have. pic.twitter.com/iQAJPm2iwm
— DraftCentral (@draftcentralnet) June 21, 2025
Clifford also earned Mountain West Conference All-Defensive honors. His length and discipline on the ball defensively give him the potential to guard 1-3 at the next level. Clifford turned 23 years old in February, but his experience in NCAA competition could appeal to the Hawks if they want an early impact player.
18-year-old Noa Essengue is rising on boards near the top 10 as the draft approaches on June 25. He has only played 25 career EuroCup games, but he showed flashes of a lengthy, athletic defender who finishes strong in the open court. Essengue averaged 12.4 points and 5.3 rebounds on 56% shooting from the field in 2024-25. His outside shot is still a work in progress, shooting 29.4% on 1.9 attempts per game this past season. He will need to get stronger when playing at the next level, but his defensive upside is sky high. Essengue moves his feet well at 6-foot-10 and demonstrates an ability to switch onto perimeter players. If he slides, Atlanta could find itself in a “best pick available” situation and take an upside swing on Essengue.
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