Breaking Down the Atlanta Hawks Draft Picks, Protections & Lottery Odds

The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery is one week away and one lucky team is going to be able to climb to the top of one of the most anticipated drafts in recent memory,

This draft has one of the top freshman classes that has ever entered the NBA before and there was a reason that so many teams were tanking at the end of the season.

While the Atlanta Hawks made the playoffs, they have a solid shot at the No. 1 overall pick thanks to a brilliant trade last summer.

Let's dive into everything draft related for Atlanta.

Upcoming draft picks

Speaking of that draft pick, the Hawks are about to see if their trade with the Pelicans last summer turns into a top four pick or just merely a top ten pick. This draft, there are four players that are considered to be at the very top. BYU's AJ Dybantsa, Kansas's Darryn Peterson, Duke's Cameron Boozer, and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson, and if the Hawks were to win the lottery or move up into the top four, this would only add more excitement to this young group.

The pick is an unprotected 2026 1st round pick that is the most favorable of New Orleans and Milwaukee's draft selection. Heading into next week's lottery, the Pelicans are positioned at 7th and the Bucks are at 10th. The combined odds for the pick are as follows:

1st: 9.7%
2nd: 9.9%
3rd: 10.1%
4th: 10.2%

39.9% at top 4

If the Hawks don't jump into the top four of the draft, than the highest that they can pick is 7th, which is still not a bad place to be. Staying in the top eight would be great for the Hawks because the 9th and 10th spots are where I think the class starts to dip in quality a bit.

That is not the only first round pick that the Hawks have. Courtesy of the De'Andre Hunter trade last February, Atlanta has the Cleveland Cavaliers first round pick and it is slotted at No. 23. The Hawks have one second round pick and it is at No. 57.

Atlanta wants to be able to continue to build through development and having two first round picks is a great way to do that if you nail them. Under Onsi Saleh, the Hawks have drafted Asa Newell with the No. 23 pick last summer and he looked like a promising, young rotational big for the future. There is not a lot of evidence of successful drafting and development from this front office, but head coach Quin Snyder has developed Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker into back-to-back winners of the most improved player award

Next Sunday is going to be step one of a huge offseason for the Atlanta. sd

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