Three Bold Predictions For The Atlanta Hawks Ahead Of The 2026 NBA Draft

The 2026 NBA Draft is finally here and the Hawks should be a very interesting team to watch tonight in the top-10.

Apr 12, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Asa Newell (14) looks to pass against Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson (16) during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks may not have traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but they'll still be able to add some serious talent today through the NBA Draft.

Armed with two first-round picks at No. 8 and No. 23 respectively, the Hawks have made themselves one of the most interesting teams in the draft. There's been tons of rumors about who the Hawks would select at No. 8 and even more discussion over whether they are going to keep or trade their later first-rounder.

Personally, I'm in favor of keeping both picks unless a golden opportunity comes around. This is one of the most talented draft classes we've seen and the best way to build a consistent contender is through the draft. The Hawks aren't quite in the right situation to make a blockbuster trade yet and there's no need to rush the process. President of basketball operations Onsi Saleh alluded to that in his recent remarks, saying this:

"We don't want to be that team that skips steps and we want to be sustainable. It's everything I've been saying. You guys are probably sick of me saying that, but that's just the truth. We really like where we're at as a team. where we're going and really young still. We're about to get younger. But we're really excited about this draft class and the opportunities that are before us. And yeah, can't really say too much else."

This is the time to build sustainably. How are they going to do it?

Burries or Bust

Apr 3, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) shoots the ball during a practice session ahead of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Despite Atlanta having some really compelling options on the board, I think the Hawks will take Brayden Burries with the eighth overall pick.

It might be a surprise and it's certainly possible the Hawks ignore the backcourt entirely. After trading away Nic Claxton, Aday Mara is probably in play for the Nets now as their center of the future. I think Keaton Wagler and Darius Acuff Jr will both be gone before the eighth overall pick. That leaves the Hawks with three real options to add backcourt help - Burries, Mikel Brown Jr and Kingston Flemings. Burries stands out as the best all-around selection.

The Hawks need to fortify their defense, supplement their shooting and find someone who can handle the ball as a complementary playmaker. Burries ticks all three boxes. He's a 39.1% shooter from deep on 4.6 attempts a game, had 1.8 steals per 36 minutes in college and turned the ball over only 1.8 times a game. He also shot a whopping 67.4% in transition, so he'll able to immediately fit with one of the best transition offenses in the NBA as he becomes a better half court player.

Risacher Reboot

Apr 18, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) warms up before the 2026 NBA Playoffs game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The best time to move Zaccharie Risacher will be before or during the NBA Draft.

Outside of the lottery, there are very few quality wing options to add in the draft. Because the strengths lie in how deep the guard class is, that leaves the Hawks with a good opportunity to see if a team wants to take a shot on further developing a player who's still 21 years old and had an intriguing rookie season.

Risacher didn't make the necessary progress in his second season and head coach Quin Snyder clearly doesn't trust him. The current leader in the front office didn't draft him and there's already a glut of possible replacements on the roster with Jonathan Kuminga and Corey Kispert. Those aren't great replacements, but I'd argue that Kuminga is a better bet for this roster than Risacher at the very least.

If they can send Risacher out to recieve a low-upside first rounder in a future draft or multiple seconds, that wouldn't be a bad return for a player that will likely never reach his potential in Atlanta.

Trade Up From Twenties

Mar 12, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Washington Huskies forward Hannes Steinbach (6) shoots a free throw against the Wisconsin Badgers during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

I think the Hawks will seriously look into trading up from No. 23 and putting some future assets/picks on the table to make it happen. I'm predicting they eventually pull it off and move into the range betweens the 15th overall pick and 18th overall pick.

Three of those four teams - the Bulls, Grizzlies and Hornets - could be talked into moving down because they're rebuilding or in Charlotte's case, slightly improving their ceiling. The Thunder are probably going to trade up, so it's possible they won't be the ones making the selection at No. 17.

If the Hawks can convince someone to trade back, I think they'll try to add some frontcourt depth and Hannes Steinbach stands out as the best option if he falls. He's a great rebounder, has enough size to play either the 4 or 5, and shot the ball well from the charity stripe. Steinbach does have his questions on defense, but this is a great opportunity to reinforce their depth behind the starting five with a player who could grow into a high-level rotation player.