Hawks Mock Draft: Atlanta Trades Down To Add Labaron Philon to Backcourt, Takes Shot On Elite Defensive Center

The Atlanta Hawks have two clear needs at guard and center - it would be surprising if their two first-round picks did not reflect that.

Having both the 8th and 22nd pick in this upcoming draft is nothing short of a blessing. It's a very deep and talented draft with plenty of options for shoring up those areas. Atlanta struggled to generate halfcourt offense in the postseason and got beat up on the boards the entire season. They could also stand to upgrade a mediocre perimeter defense and add some more rim deterrence in relief of Onyeka Okongwu.

The draft is all about adding versatility and fortunately, the Hawks have a bevy of prospects that could give them a different look. In this latest mock draft, Atlanta trades down to select a guard with tons of offensive potential and rolls the dice on an immensely talented center who's struggled with injuries.

Round 1, No, 12 overall pick: Labaron Philon - Guard, Alabama

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NBA, Philon, Labaron Philo — Mar 27, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Labaron Philon Jr. (0) looks to pass during the first half against the Michigan Wolverines during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Midwest Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Trade-Down Scenario

Hawks recieve: No. 12 overall, Aaron Wiggins, 2027 1st-round pick (via SAS, protected 1-16)

OKC Thunder recieve: No. 8 overall

There's been a lot of discussion about who the Hawks will select at No. 8 and a lot of signs point to it being one of a set foursome of backcourt options. Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr, Brayden Burries and Darius Acuff all make sense in different ways for the Hawks. However, what if the Hawks could land a player who arguably belongs in that tier a few picks later?

Philon stands at roughly 6'2 with a 6'6 wingspan and is 176.2 lbs. That's not a ton of size for someone who probably wants to be a lead guard at the next level. However, the amount of skills that he brings on offense is remarkable. He shot 39.9% from deep this season in college on about 6.2 attempts a game, so there's clear translateability to the NBA as a shooter. He boasted an excellent TS% of 62.6% despite having an extremely high USG% of 30%. The most exciting part of his game is that he doesn't just rely on sharpshooter skills from deep to get his points. He can score from any area of the court - he shot 65.7% at the rim and 44.5% from midrange while drawing 10 free throw attempts a game.

His passing is also quite good - he's great as a drive-and-kick passer and has experience from his time at Alabama conducting the whole halfcourt offense. He's a solid rebounder for a 6'2 guard and he also steps up in huge moments. Philon opened the first round of March Madness with 29 points, 8 rebounds and seven assists. When his shot went cold, the young guard took over the game as a passer and got the Crimson Tide into the Sweet 16 by dishing out 12 assists against Texas Tech. They met their match against the eventual champions in Michigan, but Philon went down swinging with 35 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Philon's defense is a big question mark due to his size and tools, but he has shown the desire/effort to improve his defense. Philon played hard on that end, but he hasn't shown the ability to put on more weight and the NBA is trending towards bigger guards. It's fair to wonder how well his defense holds up at the next level.

The other sweetener for this deal is Atlanta receiving a useful wing with some playoff experience in Aaron Wiggins alongside a Spurs draft pick that is top-16 protected. Even if the 2027 draft class may not be as talented, there's nothing wrong with taking as many swings as you can get. Philon would add a dynamic scoring presence to the Hawks and he's only 20 years old. There's plenty of time to grow into a better version of what CJ McCollum gave them this year.

Round 1, Pick 22: Jayden Quaintance - C, Kentucky

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NBA, Quaintance, Jayden Quaintance, — Dec 23, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Jayden Quaintance (21) fives a teammate during the first half against the Bellarmine Knights at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Jayden Quaintance is a fascinating player to evaluate because he may have had the most impressive defensive season by a freshman center that fans have seen in a long time. He's only 19 years old, has a 7'3 wingspan to pair with a 253 lb frame and sported a BLK% of 9.8% as a feared rim protector. If there's anything left of that potential, he's going to be able to hold his own defensively. He's a great athelete when healthy and he averaged 10.7 rebounds per 36 minutes, which is great to see from a team that desperately needs rebounding help.

The problem with Quaintance is that his injuries have piled up and they've really affected his offensive development. He's a below-average finisher at the rim (9.3 attempts per 100 possessions, 63.6% at the rim) and doesn't shoot well from any other areas of the court. He does have a really high free throw rate of 92.9%, but the FT% is too poor for it to matter at this stage (30.8% from the charity stripe).

Atlanta can afford to take him at the end of the first round and stash him in College Park for a season. While he's in College Park, he can work on his conditioning and health in one of the best talent incubators in the entire G League program. Quantaince is already a really good defender, so time with the Skyhawks won't be about developing him on that. He just needs minutes to show what he can do as a ball-handler and scorer.

It's a big risk because of his checkered injury history, but these are the type of gambles that can win championships if they swing in a team's favor. While Quantaince has been projected higher than this in several mock drafts, the medicals are risky and will scare teams away. Atlanta should be the team to take the upside swing on a really intriguing player.

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