Atlanta Hawks NBA Draft Big Board: Top Targets for Every Pick and Every Round

The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft is set to begin tonight and as the only playoff team with a top ten pick, the Atlanta Hawks represent one of the most interesting teams and situations heading into the night.

The Hawks have been busy this offseason (already), having re-signed CJ McCollum to a one-year, $21 million deal and trading a pair of second round picks for Aaron Wiggins. Will either one of those deals affect what they will do tonight? Not likely, but Onsi Saleh and the rest of the Hawks front office is already getting to work to improve this team and they have a pair of first round selections at thier disposal tonight, as well as a pick in the second round tomorrow night.

With the first round of the draft finally here, here is my final big board for the Hawks for every selection.

No. 8 pick

1. Illinois guard Keaton Wagler
2. Houston guard Kingston Flemings
3. Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr
4. Arizona guard Brayden Burries
5. Michigan center Aday Mara

If I had to bet (assuming the Hawks stay at No. 8), one of these five players will be on the Atlanta Hawks next season.

In all likelihood, they might have to move up for Wagler or Brown and I don't think either player makes it to No. 8 or the Hawks move up for them.

I feel confident that all of Flemings, Mara, and Burries are going to be there for when the Hawks are on the clock, though this serves as a reminder that anything can happen in the NBA.

If the Hawks do decide to trade down, there is a chance that they could get Burries or Mara. Other potential targets if they move down could be Michigan forwards Morez Johnson Jr or Yaxel Lendeborg, as well as Washington center Hannes Steinbach.

All of these players make sense for the Hawks and they might be facing a decison about taking a guard or filling their need at center.

No. 23 pick

1. Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie
2. Texas wing Dailyn Swain
3. Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr
4. Kentucky center Jayden Quaintance
5. Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson
6. Iowa guard Bennett Stritz
7. UConn center Tarris Reed Jr
8. Duke wing Isaiah Evans
9. Arkansas guard Meleek Thomas
10. North Carolina center Henri Veesaar

Things get more wide open here with the Hawks second first-round pick and either trading up or trading this pick for a future asset. What the Hawks do at No. 8 is of course going to influence what they want to do at No. 23.

If Atlanta opts to go with Mara at No. 8 or trade down and take someone like Johnson, Lendeborg, or Steinbach, then I think players like Okorie, Philon, Anderson, Stirtz, or Thomas will be in play here. Anderson, Philon, and Stirtz are very unlikely to make it No. 23, but unexpected players tend to fall every draft.

If Atlanta goes guard at No. 8, I think it does increase the odds of them taking a center at No. 23. Quaintance comes with big injury risks, but has elite defensive upside if the Hawks can find a way to be patient as he comes along.

Tarris Reed Jr has the skillset to be a very good backup center in the NBA and will be under consideration for the Hawks at this pick. Henri Veesaar is the kind of stretch big that the Hawks would love behind Onyeka Okongwu, but would taking him at No. 23 be too high?

The Hawks have been linked to Swain, but I find it unlikely that he is going to make it to No. 23, but it would not be a surprise if he is taken should he be available.

Duke wing Isaiah Evans is a knockdown shooter and can defend well, but I do think him going to Atlanta at No. 23 is less likely now that the Hawks traded for Wiggins. If Atlanta moved one of Corey Kispert or Zaccharie Risacher before the draft, that could open up a spot for another wing.

Two bigs that I think could be available, but might not be the best fits are Saint Johns Zuby Ejiofor and Houston center Chris Cenac Jr. Both are a bit undersized and more of a combo big. Given that the Hawks already have Okongwu and drafted Asa Newell last year and are looking to get bigger, it feels unlikely that either of them will be the pick.

No. 57 pick

1. Virginia center Ugonna Onyenso
2. Miami guard Tre Donaldson
3. Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton
4. Tennessee guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie
5. Arizona guard Jaden Bradley
6. Duke forward Maliq Brown
7. Northwestern forward Nick Martinelli

I think it is likely that the Hawks move this pick, but if they stick right here, they could take one of these players and see how they perform in Summer League. This player could end up on a two-way contract for the Hawks.

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