Atlanta Hawks NBA Mock Draft 2.0: Final Picks for Every Round

At long last, it is finally draft day in the NBA.

The Atlanta Hawks enter tonight as one of the most interesting teams to watch heading into tonight, with multiple reports calling them "open for business" and not really having a great idea at what Onsi Saleh and this front office are going to do when they are on the clock tonight.

The needs for Atlanta in the backcourt and at center have been well documented, but as Saleh has said, this team is going to go best player available whenever they are on the clock, regardless of position.

Atlanta is the only playoff team with a top ten pick, and they enter the draft with the No. 8, No. 23, and No. 57 overall picks.

So what will the Hawks do tonight? Here are my final predictions.

Atlanta Hawks Mock Draft 2.0

The picks leading up to No. 8:

1. Washington Wizards- BYU forward AJ Dybantsa
2. Utah Jazz- Kansas guard Darryn Peterson
3. Memphis Grizzlies- Duke forward Cameron Boozer
4. Chicago Bulls- North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson
5. Los Angeles Clippers (via IND)- Illinois guard Keaton Wagler
6. Brooklyn Nets- Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr
7. Sacramento Kings- Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr

8. Atlanta Hawks (Via NOP)- Houston guard Kingston Flemings

The draft begins at No. 5 and what the Clippers, Nets, and Kings do will obviously affect what Atlanta decides to do.

Atlanta has been mentioned as the most active teams when it comes to talking potential trades, whether it is up or down the board from No. 8. If Atlanta were to move up, I think the Clippers at No. 5 are the most likely team to move back, especially with them rumored to like Arizona guard Brayden Burries. If the Hawks liked either Keaton Wagler or Mikel Brown Jr enough (or Darius Acuff Jr), than they could decide to try and package No. 8, No. 23, and either a future pick or a player to try and get to No. 5.

I don't think they are going to do that and this pick will come down to Kingston Flemings, Burries, Aday Mara, or trading down.

After hearing Onsi Saleh talk about how talented this guard class is, I think Atlanta is going to take either Flemings or Burries.

"Yeah, like the guards in this class are really great. They're a lot different. There's a lot of different archetypes there with guys that could play with the ball, without the ball. They're all just a little bit different, but I think this is one of the best point guard classes we've had in a long time. Some of them could play, two positions I think so I just feel really good about uh that group of guys there's a group of bigs that's really good there's some wings that are really good so like we feel really good about wherever we're drafting."

Either player would be a good fit, but I do think that Flemings skillset would complement the core of Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, and Onyeka Okongwu, as well as CJ McCollum. Flemings can get downhill, is great in transition, and guards pretty well, despite his size. If he can develop a reliable jumpshot, it is not out of the question that Flemings develops into one of the five best prospects in this

9. Dallas Mavericks- Michigan forward/center Morez Johnson
10. Milwaukee Bucks- Arizona guard Brayden Burries
11. Golden State Warriors- Michigan center Aday Mara
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC)- Tennessee forward Nate Ament
13. Miami Heat- Baylor guard Cameron Carr
14. Charlotte Hornets- Washington center Hannes Steinbach
15. Chicago Bulls (via POR) - Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg
16. Memphis Grizzlies (via PHX)- Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz
17. Oklahoma City Thunder (via PHI)- Texas wing Dailyn Swain
18. Charlotte Hornets (via ORL)- New Zealand Breakers forward Karim Lopez
19. Toronto Raptors- Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr
20. San Antonio Spurs (via ATL)- Santa Clara forward Allen Graves
21. Detroit Pistons (via MIN)- Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie
22. Philadelphia 76ers (via HOU)- Houston center Chris Cenac Jr

23. Atlanta Hawks (via CLE)- Kentucky center Jayden Quaintance

I am not confident that the Hawks are going to be selecting right here, either because the moved up in the draft to get a player they liked or because they moved this selection for a future pick. Whoever the Hawks take at No. 23 is likely not going to play for the team this upcoming season in any major capacity and will take a year at least and play in College Park for the G-League.

The Hawks have a need at center and there is no player in the draft with the kind of ceiling, but also with the risk that Quaintance provides. He is an elite defensive prospect, but the injuries are causing him to fall down the board and there is some doubt if he goes in the first round at all.

I think his tantalizing potential is going to be too good to pass up for Atlanta at No. 23. Under Saleh, the Hawks have been opportunistic to jump at value. You can look at the recent trade to get Aaron Wiggins away from Oklahoma City due to the roster crunch the Thunder are in. The situations are not exactly the same, but Quaintance is a lottery talent if healthy and getting him at No. 23 and him filling a position of need makes so much sense.

No. 57. Atlanta Hawks (via BOS)- Duke forward Maliq Brown

I have real skepticism that the Hawks make this pick, but Brown is a high-level defender and could be useful at some point in his NBA career.

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