Six Championship Tournament Players For the Atlanta Hawks To Consider in the 2025 NBA Draft

The Atlanta Hawks are in an interesting spot in the 2025 NBA Draft. While they are without their own draft picks, they could have as many as two first-round picks in the 2025 draft. They own the Los Angeles Lakers' unprotected pick right now and the rights to the Kings first-round pick (top-12 protected). The Lakers have surged in the standings over the last month, while the Kings are right on the line to make the NBA's play-in tournament. If things hold right now, Atlanta will have the No. 14 pick and the No. 25 pick.

With those selections, general manager Landry Fields will undoubtedly be assessing some of the players slated to compete in the NCAA conference tournaments starting tonight. There are several big names that could be in Atlanta's draft plans, so it's worth taking a look at the players that address weakpoints on the Hawks' roster.

Danny Wolf (Jr, C) - Michigan

Danny Wolf, Hawks, Atlanta Hawks — Mar 5, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines center Danny Wolf (1) is defended by Maryland Terrapins forward Julian Reese (10) in the first half at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Stats: 12.9 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.4 bpg, 50% FG, 34.4% 3PT, 60% FT

After transferring from Yale, Wolf has stepped in as a passing hub for the Wolverines. He does struggle with turnovers (4 turnovers a game per 36 minutes) and isn't the most athletic defender, but he has real shooting touch for a seven-footer and sees the floor very well. He's an excellent rebounder and protects the rim well. For the Hawks, he would give Atlanta some complementary passing outside of Trae Young and Jalen Johnson. Furthermore, Wolf gives the Hawks the chance to run non-Trae lineups with him at its center to dish out assists. He is 21, so the ceiling isn't quite as high as some of the other prospects in his draft class. However, he's a realistic target with the 25th overall pick.

Michigan will play its first game of the Big 10 tournament on Friday, March 14 at 9:30 pm EST against one of No. 20 Purdue, No.11 Rutgers or No.14 Southern California.

Jeremiah Fears (Fr, G) - Oklahoma

Jeremiah Fears, Fears, Hawks, Atlanta Hawks — Mar 5, 2025; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Jeremiah Fears (0) dribbles down the court against Missouri Tigers guard Tony Perkins (12) during the second half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Stats: 16.3 ppg, 4.2 apg, 4.1 rpg, 1.5 spg, 43.3% FG, 26.5% 3PT, 85.1% FT

Outside of having an awesome name, the 18 year-old guard is incredibly fast and places tons of pressure on the rim. He's a creative finisher who can also dish out complex passes, even if he does struggle with turnovers. As a shooter, he's much more inconsistent. On defense, his physicality and tools pop - he averages 1.9 steals a game per 36 minutes despite being so young. The flashes are there, but the real selling point for his shooting is a strong 85.1% mark from the charity stripe. At 6'4, 182 lbs, Fears could be a viable bench scorer immediately as he adapts to the NBA and can run some offense as well. Even though the Hawks already have a good backcourt in Trae Young and Dyson Daniels, there's no reason why Fears can't fit alongside either if he shows development as a shooter. Atlanta will need to target him with the 14th overall pick.

Oklahoma takes on No. 11 Georgia in the SEC Tournament tomorrow, March 12 at 9:30 pm EST.

Carter Bryant (Fr, F) - Arizona

Carter Bryant, Bryant, Atlanta Hawks, Hawks — Mar 4, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Carter Bryant (9) dunks the ball during the first half against the Arizona State Sun Devils at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Stats: 6.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.0 bpg, 47.9% FG, 34.9% 3PT, 69.2% FT

Bryant doesn't get a ton of usage for Arizona, but the stats undersell what the 6'8 power forward brings to the table. He's an excellent finisher at the rim and his per-36 numbers of 34.9% from deep on 5.2 attempts a game portray signs of a floor-spacing wing at the next level. He's a good athlete for his position and blows up matchups as a defender. He has an excellent defensive box plus-minus of 5.4 and averages 3.6 stocks a game per 36 minutes. The production is limited and it's hard to project All-Star upside for Bryant, but at only 19 years old, there's a solid foundation to build from. He won't be challenging Zaccharie Risacher or Jalen Johnson for a starting spot as a rookie, but he gives Atlanta another toolsy 3&D wing in their rotation. The Hawks could target him with the 25th overall pick.

Arizona will play in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament against one of No. 6 Kansas, No. 14 UCF and No. 11 Utah on Thursday, March 13 at 9:30 pm EST.

Jase Richardson (Fr, G) - Michigan State

Jase Richardson, Richardson, Atlanta Hawks, Hawks — Michigan State's Jase Richardson makes a 3-pointer against Wisconsin during the second half on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Stats: 11.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.9 apg, 52.4% FG, 38.8% 3PT, 85.4% FT

Adding a young backcourt piece like Richardson may not make sense at first glance. However, Richardson's combination of shooting skill and age is incredibly impressive. He's only 18 years old, but he's shooting 38.8% from deep on 2.8 attempts per game and shoots 85.4% from the charity stripe. Despite being a slender 6'3 guard at 185 lbs, he's an athletic defender with a sparkling 2:32 AST/TO ratio. Richardson's shown improvement throughout the season and has been one of the Spartans' best players in their ranked games. Adding him to the rotation gives the Hawks a viable backup shooting guard with some passing to lead bench units. It also adds a capable three-point shooter to a roster in desperate need of more spacing. His scoring volume is a little limited and he's going to struggle initially with the NBA's physicality due to his age, but his potential is obvious. It's hard to pinpoint where the Hawks would need to target him, but he'll likely be in range at the 14th overall pick.

Michigan State will face off against either the No. 8-seeded Oregon Ducks or the No. 9-seeded Indiana Hoosiers on Friday, March 14 at 12 p.m in the Big Ten Tournament.

Alex Karaban (Jr, F) - Connecticut

Alex Karaban, Karaban, Atlanta Hawks, Hawks — Mar 5, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies forward Alex Karaban (11) reacts after defeating the Marquette Golden Eagles at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Stats: 14.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.6 bpg, 44% FG, 35.3% 3PT, 83.1% FT

Karaban is one of the older players in this draft class. He'll be 22 by the time of the draft and likely doesn't have much more room to develop. However, he has a clear role at the next level as a catch-and-shoot specialist. He's a good off-ball mover with a very high basketball IQ coming from winning back-to-back championships with the Huskies. That being said, his athletic limitations prevent him from being a plus defender at the next level and he is not much of a self-creator on offense. If Atlanta takes him at the back-end of the first round, it's a bet on Karaban being able to feast off Young's gravity and hit threes. He could be a younger and cheaper version of Georges Niang.

Connecticut plays the winner of No. 11 Seton Hall vs. No. 6 Villanova tomorrow, March 12 at 9 p.m EST.

Kam Jones (Sr, G) - Marquette

Kam Jones, Jones, Atlanta Hawks, Hawks — St. John’s forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) guards Marquette guard Kam Jones (1) during the first half of their game Saturday, March 8, 2025 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Stats: 18.9 ppg, 6.1 apg, 4.5 rpg, 1.5 spg, 48.5% FG, 30.6% 3PT, 64.6% FT

Kam Jones is one of the most experienced players in this draft class. He'll be 23 years old on draft night and brings a NBA-ready frame to the next level. At 6'5, 200 lbs, he's a very strong finisher at the rim who rebounds well. He has also made strides in his playmaking ability, sporting a strong AST/TO ratio of 3.36. Jones isn't the best off-ball defender, but he's a tenacious on-ball defender who gives tons of effort even if he doesn't have the best athletic tools to work with. His shooting has taken a step back this year, but he has a larger sample of good production as a career 36.6% shooter from deep. If the Hawks select Jones with the No. 25 overall pick, he should be able to find an immediate role as a bench scorer with the chance to get significant run in more offensively-tilted lineups.

Marquette plays No. 4 Xavier in the Big East Tournament tomorrow, March 12 at 2:30 pm EST.

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