Every Atlanta Hawks First-Round Pick of the Last 20 Years: Hits, Misses and What Happened Next

The Hawks have had their fair share of hits and misses over the past 20 years of drafting, but what stands out the most?

Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets the eighth pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Houston guard Kingston Flemings after he was selected by the Atlanta Hawks at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The NBA Draft can be a tough thing to nail, especially if you don't have a top pick in a loaded draft. That has been the job for the Atlanta Hawks over the past 20 years, and there have been some hits and some mistakes. Atlanta has found some of their best players in franchise history over the past 20 years while also making a few incorrect picks.

Let's take a walk down memory lane.

Atlanta Hawks 20-Year Draft History

2006: Shelden Williams, No. 5 overall

This is one of those mistakes.

The Hawks took Williams with the No. 5 overall pick (while Brandon Roy was still on the board) and to put it simply, it was the wrong choice and Williams was not on the Hawks for very long. He was traded in the midst of his second season with the Hawks and he never lived up to the high draft slot.

2007: Al Horford (No.3 overall) and Acie Law (No. 11 overall)

Dec 21, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) is defended by Portland Trail Blazers forward Allen Crabbe (23) in the third quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Trail Blazers 106-97. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Hawks got this half-right at least.

Horford is one of the greatest players in franchise history, while Law, just like Williams before him, became another lottery pick that the Hawks traded after just two seasons.

During all nine seasons that Horford played with the Hawks, Atlanta made the playoffs every season, and in the 2014-2015 season, Horford helped get the Hawks to 60 wins and their first-ever Eastern Conference Finals Appearance. He was a four-time All-Star with the Hawks, and he made the All-NBA Third Team in the 2010-2011 season.

The Hawks made a terrible decision to let Horford walk in the summer of 2016 and sign Dwight Howard instead. Horford went on to have a nice career with the Boston Celtics, brief stops in Philadelphia and OKC, then back to Boston, where he won an NBA Championship. He currently plays for the Golden State Warriors.

2008: No first-round pick

2009: Jeff Teague (No. 19 overall)

Dec 26, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) dribbles the ball against the New York Knicks in the fourth quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 117-98. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Before he became a great podcaster, Jeff Teague was a pretty good starting point guard for the Atlanta Hawks. He outperformed his draft slot of 19th overall and helped take the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2014-2015 season.

Teague played eight seasons with the Hawks and holds career averages of 11.9 PPG and 5.1 APG while shooting 45% from the field and 35% from three. He was one of four Hawks who made the All-Star Game in 2014-2015, and it was the lone All-Star selection of his career. This was a hit for the Hawks.

2010: Atlanta drafted Damion James with the No. 24 pick and traded him to the Nets

The Hawks sent Jones to the Nets and unlike some other drafts, there were not many players on the board who would go on to make big differences in the NBA. Hassan Whiteside and Lance Stephenson were some notable second round picks that Atlanta could have used, but those are not franchise changing.

2011: No first-round pick

2012: John Jenkins (No. 23 Overall)

Jenkins was regarded as a three-point specialist coming out of Vanderbilt and the Hawks took him in the backhalf of the NBA Draft. Jenkins only ended up playing three seasons with the Hawks, playing in 98 games and starting in five. He averaged 5.6 PPG and shot 37% from three.

This would be classified as a miss, and other players the Hawks could have selected include Draymond Green, Khris Middleton, and Jae Crowder. Green could have made a massive difference for Atlanta in the upcoming playoff runs.

2013: Dennis Schröder (No. 17 overall) and Shane Larkin (No. 18 overall, traded to Dallas)

Dec 30, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schroder (17) drives against Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson (1) in the third quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 105-98. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Any Hawks fan will remember that the 2013 draft was the one where the front office was enamored with Giannis Antetokounmpo, only for him to go two spots above them.

The 2013 draft is usually looked at as one of the worst drafts this century, despite players like Antetokounmpo, current Hawks guard CJ McCollum, and Rudy Gobert being selected in the first round.

Atlanta made a solid selection with Schroder, even though he never became the long-term starter at the position as they had hoped, but that was mostly due to the direction the Hawks took in a matter of years (more on that later).

Schroder is well-traveled at this point, but he stayed with the Hawks the longest, playing in Atlanta for five seasons. His career averages with Atlanta were 12.9 PPG and 4.8 APG on 43% shooting from the field and 32% from three. He finished in the top 11 of 6th Man Of The Year voting twice. He was recently traded from Cleveland to Charlotte and will play for the Hornets this season.

This was a solid pick and if the Hawks made a different selection at No. 18 and kept that player, it could have been a really good first round. Gobert, Tim Hardaway Jr (who would later find his way to Atlanta), Reggie Bullock, and Andre Roberson would have been useful selections for Atlanta.

2014: Adreian Payne (No. 15 overall)

Payne only played in three games for the Hawks and was traded to Minnesota during his rookie season. He tragically died in 2022.

2015: Kelly Oubre (No. 15 overall, traded to the Wizards)

Atlanta selected Oubre with the No. 15 overall pick, but traded him to the Wizards. Keeping Oubre would have been fine as well, as he is still a useful NBA rotation player, but Atlanta could have also taken Delon Wright (who would later join the Hawks in future seasons), Bobby Portis, Tyus Jones, Larry Nance Jr, or Kevon Looney in the first-round.

2016: DeAndre Bembry (No. 21 overall)

Dec 2, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Atlanta Hawks small forward DeAndre' Bembry (95) drives against Brooklyn Nets center Jarrett Allen (31) during the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bembry was never a star player and only played four seasons with the Hawks, but he was not a complete disaster.

Bembry struggled on the offensive end of the court plenty, but he was a pretty solid defender for the Hawks. He played in 189 games in four seasons for the Hawks, including playing in all 82 games during the 2018-2019 season.

There were some really good players that they could have taken instead, however. Pascal Siakam and Dejounte Murray (who would later be traded to Atlanta in one of the worst deals in franchise history) were first-round picks taken later who could have helped this team then and into the future. Ivica Zubac and Malcolm Brogdon were some notable second-round picks the Hawks also could have selected instead.

2017: John Collins (No. 19 overall)

Dec 14, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins (20) moves to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers guard Furkan Korkmaz (30) during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Ahead of the 2017-2018 season, the Atlanta Hawks were about to embrace the tank and officially move past the Al Horford (who had left the offseason before) and Paul Millsap era of Hawks basketball. Their first selection of this new era was John Collins, and it was a really good pick, especially for a later first-round selection.

Collins played immediately for the Hawks and was a central part of the young core they were trying to build around. He played six seasons with Atlanta, including helping them make a run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021 (where he was their second-best player). He holds career averages of 15.8 PGG and 8.0 RPG during his six-year run with the Hawks and he will always be remembered by Hawks fans for his incredible ability to have highlight dunks, including one against Joel Embiid during Atlanta's upset of the 76ers in the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Collins was traded during the Summer of 2023 to the Utah Jazz in a salary dump move by Atlanta's ownership. After two seasons in Utah and one with the Los Angeles Clippers, Collins signed a lucrative deal with the Detroit Pistons this offseason.

2018: Trae Young (traded to Atlanta by Dallas for Luka Doncic), Kevin Huerter (No. 19 overall), and Omari Spellman (No. 30 overall)

Dec 31, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) during the first half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

This is the most famous Hawks draft moment of the past 20 years and possibly ever.

Atlanta selected Luka Doncic with the No. 3 pick and then traded him to Dallas for Trae Young and a future first-round pick that ended up being Cam Reddish. Doncic would lead the Mavericks to the Finals in 2024 before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in an even more infamous deal, and Young was recently traded from Atlanta to Washington.

Should the Hawks have just kept Doncic and built around him? Yes. Should that diminish what Young was able to accomplish with the Hawks? No.

Young is arguably the second-best player in Hawks history and led them farther in the playoffs than the franchise had gone before. Led by Young, the Hawks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021 and after putting up one of the best game one performances in NBA history, the Hawks took the Milwaukee Bucks to six games in the ECF.

Some (including Young himself) would argue if he had not hurt his ankle in game three of that series, Atlanta may have beaten the Bucks and who knows what would have happened vs Phoenix.

That is impossible to say, but Young had a fantastic career with the Hawks and no matter of your opinion of him as a player, he did some terrific things for the franchise. A four-time All-Star and 2022 All-NBA Third Team selection, Young left Atlanta as the franchise’s all-time leader in assists (4,837) and made three-pointers (1,295), while ranking fourth in made free throws (3,276), sixth in points (12,413), and ninth in field goals made (3,921).

Huerter was a key piece of the Hawks 2021 run to the ECF, including a monster performance in game seven against the 76ers in the semifinals. He averaged 11.4 PPG in four seasons with the Hawks and shot 38% from three.

Spellman played his rookie season with Atlanta, but was only with the Hawks for that season before moving on to Golden State.

2019: DeAndre Hunter (No. 4 overall) and Cam Reddish (No. 10 overall)

This was a big swing and miss for the Hawks on both accounts.

After failing to move up in the lottery, Atlanta decided to trade up to No. 4 and select Hunter. Hunter did not have a bad career with the Hawks in his six seasons with the team, but constant injuries hampered him in his development and he was traded to the Cavaliers at the trade deadline in 2024. For his career with Atlanta, he averaged 14.8 PPG and 4.1 RPG on 45% shooting from the field and 37% from three.

Hunter was traded at this year's trade deadline to the Sacramento Kings.

Reddish was a big miss for Atlanta. He showed flashes of being a skilled player, including a nice performance in game six of the 2021 ECF vs Milwaukee, but he was later traded to the New York Knicks in the middle of his third NBA season.

Other players Atlanta could have selected instead of Reddish at No. 10 include Cam Johnson, P.J. Washington, Tyler Herro, Nickeil Alexander-Walker (who now starts for Atlanta), and Ty Jerome.

2020: Onyeka Okongwu (6th overall)

Apr 10, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) warms up on the court prior to the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Onyeka Okongwu is the Hawks current starting center and this was a clear hit. Atlanta may not have moved up in the lottery and landed hometown hero Anthony Edwards, but Okongwu is one of the most underrated centers in the NBA and has become a really good starter, especially after improving as a three-point shooter this past season.

2021: Jalen Johnson (No. 20 overall)

Apr 30, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) shoots against the New York Knicks in the third quarter during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Talk about a steal.

This was a steal on the night of the 2021 NBA Draft and it remains that way. Johnson was one of the most talented players in the draft, but slipped to No. 20 for various reasons and now he is the face of the franchise.

Johnson had the best season of his career in 2025-2026 and was named to his first All-Star game and was a third-team All-NBA selection. The best is yet to come and this was a huge win for the Hawks.

2022: AJ Griffin (No. 16)

After a solid rookie season with the Hawks in which he played 72 games and shot 39% from three, Griffin only played 20 games the following season and was then traded to the Houston Rockets. He retired from the NBA shortly after.

Some players the Hawks could have taken include Tari Eason, Jake LaRavis, Christian Braun, Walker Kessler, and Peyton Watson.

2023: Kobe Bufkin (No. 15 overall)

Bufkin struggled with injuries during his two seasons with the Hawks, playing in 27 games over two seasons, and was later traded to the Brooklyn Nets for cash considerations. After a solid stint with the Lakers last season, he signed a deal with the New Orleans Pelicans this offseason.

Other players Atlanta could have selected here include Keyonte George, Brandin Podziemski, Jaime Jaquez Jr, and Marcus Sasser.

2024: Zaccharie Risacher (No. 1 overall)

The Hawks took Risacher with the No. 1 overall pick, and it did not work out. He was the top pick in what was projected to be (and has turned out to be) a weak draft and after a rookie season in which he finished in second place for Rookie of the Year, he fell out of the rotation this past season and was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in a three-team deal that saw Atlanta acquire Lu Dort and Ryan Nembhard.

It was a questionable pick at the time and Atlanta should have gone in another direction, but I think a fresh start was needed and he can still become a useful rotation player in the NBA.

2025: Asa Newell (23rd overall)

Newell mostly played in the G-League this past season, but is going to be in the mix for a rotation spot in the Hawks frontcourt. Way too early to say if this was a hit or miss and Atlanta was able to trade down from No. 13 overall to acquire him, picking up what turned out to be the No. 8 overall pick in this past year's draft.

2026: Kingston Flemings (8th overall) and Zuby Ejiofor (23rd overall)

These two players were drafted just two months ago and impressed in Summer League. Both could figure into the Hawks' rotation this season. Flemings is expected to be the backup point guard, while Ejiofor will compete with Newell and Mouhamed Gueye for power forward minutes.