Analyst Reveals What Should Be The Atlanta Hawks Biggest Fear This Offseason

The Atlanta Hawks are going to be one of the most interesting teams to watch this summer

Will the Hawks take Zaccharies Risacher with the No.1 pick? / CBS Sports

The 2024 NBA Draft is now two weeks away and it figures to be the first big night in what should be a big offseason for the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks have to figure out who to take with the No.1 pick, what to do with the Trae Young/Dejounte Murray backcourt, and the future of other players such as Clint Capela, De'Andre Hunter, and Bogdan Bogdanovic is up in the air. This is a crucial offseason for the Hawks and they have to make the right decisions and get this franchise on the right track towards contention.

What if things go wrong though? What would be the worst-case scenario for the Hawks this offseason? Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz gave his idea of what would be a worst-case scenario for the Hawks this offseason and it had to do with the upcoming choice they will make in the NBA Draft:

"We didn't know who the Cleveland Cavaliers were taking with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft until David Stern made the actual announcement.

This wasn't because of the Cavs' successful attempt at secrecy, but more so the lack of a clear-cut No. 1 pick. We could see history repeat itself in 2024, although hopefully with a better outcome now for the Atlanta Hawks.

Alex Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher and perhaps even some surprise candidates are still on the table for the Hawks to select at No. 1 overall.

Atlanta still has a lot to figure out this summer with the Trae Young-Dejounte Murray backcourt, Saddiq Bey's free agency, and a roster that's headed toward the luxury tax next season. Missing on the No. 1 pick and enduring an Anthony Bennett situation should be the team's biggest fear, however."

As soon as the Hawks won the draft lottery last month, there was already a sentiment out there that of course this was the lottery the Hawks would win. There has been a lot of talk about how this draft lacks superstar-level talent, much like the 2013 draft. I think this draft is better than 2013, but that still means that Atlanta needs to make the right pick. Whether it is Sarr, Clingan, or Risacher, the Hawks can't afford to miss out on getting a key piece for the future, even if this player is not expected to be the best player on this team. Don't forget, that the 2013 draft also featured Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert, CJ McCollum, and Victor Oladipo. That should be a reminder that even in drafts that turn out to not be great, there are still good players that come out of it. There will probably be some All-Stars in this draft, but the Hawks have to find one of them.

There are other ways this offseasoncould go wrong for the Hawks. Until we actually get a firm grasp on what the Hawks want to do with the pieces on the team, I think it is fair to say that what the Hawks do in the draft might be the most important decision for the Hawks this season.