Atlanta Hawks 2025NBA Draft Profile- How Would Washington State Guard Cedric Coward Fit With The Hawks?

The Atlanta Hawks have good options to choose from in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft.

Nov 21, 2024; Spokane, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars guard Cedric Coward (0) controls the ball against the Eastern Washington Eagles in the second half at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks have an interesting offseason ahead, with reports of them having some questions about how much they want to pay All-Star guard Trae Young this summer based on his max contract extension eligibility. Let's take a look at what ESPN's Bobby Marks had to say about the Young extension:

"How the Hawks handle talks with Young will dictate how the roster is shaped in future seasons. On the surface, Young deserves the four-year, $229 million extension he is eligible to sign. The $51 million salary in 2026-27 would replace his $48.9 million player option. Young averaged a league-high 11.6 assists this season, the most since Russell Westbrook in 2020-21. Young's 200 assists in fourth quarters were the most since John Stockton in 1996-97. The counterargument to a new contract is pinned to roster construction and comfort level to committing long term to Young. Atlanta has prioritized building a roster centered on younger players Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson and Zaccharie Risacher. Young shot a career low 53% at the rim and had the second-worst effective field goal percentage of his career. He also led the league in turnovers with 355. Without an extension, Young could become an unrestricted free agent in the 2026 offseason if the player option is declined. Another factor to consider is the limited trade partners available if Atlanta were to make Young available. The only teams with significant vacancies in their backcourt are Brooklyn and Sacramento."

" What to expect: "Unless Young is willing to compromise on his next contract (at three years, $120 million, for example), it is hard to see the Hawks writing a $229 million check to the 26-year-old All-Star."

The Hawks' roster construction around Young since he entered the league hasn't always worked to their advantage, outside of a remarkable 2021 Eastern Conference Finals run that featured a lot of upcoming talent and led to Young receiving his rookie max contract extension that summer. Since then, the Hawks have been in and out of the playoffs, and they have only seen a significant improvement in terms of wins, points, and efficiency with Young on the team in 2022, a year in which he arguably had his best season in the NBA, making the All-NBA Third Team and making his second all-star appearance.

However, the Hawks do own two first-round draft picks this summer, pick number 13 (via Sacramento) and the 22nd (via Los Angeles Lakers). There is a chance, regardless of what they decide to do with Trae Young, that they bring in another guard off the bench, that possibly being Washington State Guard Cedric Coward.

Cedric Coward's blend of touch and lower-body flexibility is phenomenal. Able to get low, decelerate, and carve out space for his jumper while staying on-balance. He finished a blistering 58.6% of his non-rim 2-pointers over his college career (51/87). pic.twitter.com/FvhPbgwlUi

— Will Morris (@w_a_morris) May 20, 2025

Let's take a look at what strengths and weaknesses that Coward has:

Strengths:

Coward stands at 6-foot-6 and has a seven-foot wingspan, to go along with his scoring ability that he makes look very easy as he shot 55.7% from the field, 40% from three-point range, and 83.9% from the free-throw line this season. His playmaking abilities were evident as he averaged 3.7 assists and has shown good vision with the basketball and made smart decisions when playmaking only averaging two turnovers a game. On the defensive end, he makes good reads as well, as he is able to get active with offensive players forcing them to miss shots with his close outs and make smart IQ plays with his long wingspan as he nearly averaged two blocks a game this season. His rebounding is another tool that he uses at a nice rate as he averaged 7 rebounds a game this season and doesn't need the ball in his hands to be useful which goes well with today's offense.

Weaknesses:

With many of Coward's strengths, he has weaknesses in certain areas of his game, such as creating space when trying to score, being a consistent scorer when dealing with traffic in the paint, or shooting the ball well when he's not on a hot streak. Defensively, he seems to struggle with quicker players. Another concern for Coward, potentially for scouts, is that he attended a small conference school in the Big Sky Conference, which could raise questions about his ability to compete in the NBA. Additionally, he missed most of the season due to a shoulder injury he sustained early on.

Overall:

The Hawks could use Coward based on his size and shooting abilities that he possesses, and his overall play style, to be able to do everything without needing much help from others around him. His defensive impact as a whole is something the Hawks could use in a significant way, as they were one of the last-ranked teams defensively with a defensive rating of 115.7, good enough for 26th in the NBA. Coward brings more youthfulness to the Hawks, as he is just 21 years old, which also benefits the team. However, things can get tricky based on how his season ended this year and the unknown impact of the conference he played in on his output. Another way things could not work in Atlanta is his ability to finish or score when things aren't going well for him, or when bigger teams are taking away the paint. How could he still help the team, given his streaky shooting? Or his ability to be slower on recovery and lack of lateral quickness on defense.

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