If the Spurs offered the No. 4 and No. 8 picks to Atlanta for the No. 1 pick, should they accept?

The Atlanta Hawks may not officially be on the clock for the 2024 NBA Draft, but they’ve been wondering what to do with the No. 1 pick ever since they blew everyone away and won the NBA draft lottery. the NBA a few weeks ago. If the Hawks had their pick, who would they take at No. 1? Would they consider swapping their choice? This is surely being debated within the Hawks front office right now as we get closer to the draft.

This draft has the perception of being one of the weakest in recent memory, but the Hawks could still find an impact player that fits their roster. Players talked about at No. 1 include French big Alex Sarr and French guard/wing Zaccharie Risacher, as well as UConn center Donovan Clingan. It appears that if the Hawks stay at No. 1, it will be either Risacher or Sarr, but there is still time before the draft.

If the Hawks decided to trade the pick, what would the return be? I think this is an interesting thing to debate because most years the #1 pick would net a big return. As this project is perceived as weaker, will the commercial offers be strong? I’m convinced (just speculation) that if the Hawks trade the #1 pick, it could be to move down in the draft and acquire multiple picks in this draft or in the future.

A potential trade scenario could arise if the Spurs wanted to move up to first place and trade their two lottery picks they currently own. San Antonio picks #4 and #8 (courtesy of Toronto), but do they want to pick in the top eight twice or try to make a big swing for the first pick to get a better player alongside Victory Wembanyama? While there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding this draft, it appears that Sarr and Risacher will both be top-two picks. If San Antonio likes one of these guys, will they try to trade him for one of them?

I think it will depend on what Atlanta thinks of Donovan Clingan. If they think Clingan is the better player, they could go down and get him at four (assuming Houston doesn’t select him). The Spurs could move forward and take Risacher or Sarr, leaving the Wizards with whoever the Spurs don’t take. This is not a guarantee that Houston won’t take Clingan or trade the pick to someone who wants Clingan (Memphis or New Orleans?). Atlanta could move back, possibly get Clingan, then take a winger such as Matas Buzelis or Ron Holland at No. 8.

This idea was floated by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony in his latest mock version:

“Trading this pick for more immediate contributors or moving down to make multiple swings in this relatively flat lottery class are options. Consider a scenario in which San Antonio trades the No. 4 and No. 8 selections for the right to move up . and recruit Risacher.”

There have been rumors that Atlanta is also intrigued by Clingan. Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher have been the most talked about for the top pick in recent weeks, but according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, UConn center Donovan Clingan is still in play:

“Clingan has momentum in June, as he made a strong impression during combine drills, private interviews and his pro day, where he left intriguing glimpses of perimeter shots that many recruiters said, will be part of his game in the future – too distant future His measurements – 7-3 in shoes, 282 pounds with a 7-7 wingspan and an outrageous 9-7 standing reach are elite (as we know). already knew).

The draft lottery hasn’t done him too much favors, however, putting teams with established starters at the center position at Nos. 3, 4 and 5, which could drop him a little more than his big-board ranking l ‘noted. It wouldn’t be surprising to see teams like the Portland Trail Blazers or Memphis Grizzlies attempt to move up on draft night to land their starting center of the future. There are, however, rumors that Clingan has fans among the Hawks’ No. 1 constituency, meaning there’s still a lot to play for between now and June 26. »

Clingan is considered one of the top prospects in the draft, but the lottery may not have gone in his favor. Teams that could really use a player like him have fallen in the lottery and while it’s still possible he could go as high as No. 1, he could also fall out of the top five.

Defensively, there is no doubt that Clingan would be a huge boost for the Hawks at the center position. He appears to have All-Defensive Team potential with his ability to block shots, the questions will arise on the offensive end of the court. Clingan didn’t show enough floor spacing and three-point shooting ability at UConn and he’s not a good free throw shooter. Could he improve these areas? Sure, but if he doesn’t improve enough, he could get knocked off the field in some scenarios.

This isn’t the first time Clingan has been suggested to be in play with the No. 1 pick. In an episode of his podcast, ESPN Insider Adrian Wojnarowski was discussing prospects at the top of the draft with Givony and Wojnarowski suggested that Clingan is firmly in play for a top-three finish, which obviously means he’s in game for n°1. choose in Atlanta:

“I think with Clingan, there are elements to his game that you didn’t see at UConn that have been there and he’s someone who, since his high school days, has spent a lot of time behind the three-point line and develop that game. You’re going to watch him practice and you watch him practice and have him go all the way around the arc and go back and shoot the ball He didn’t. been a great free throw shooter, but there’s no reason to believe he won’t be a better free throw shooter, there’s nothing wrong with his shot and it feels like that. that’s a place he’s going to improve. His dominance for UConn, what he’s done, the improvement, the lateral quickness, his ability to recover and cover so much ground, you saw the tournament in the. NCAA, I mean Illinois literally couldn’t get near the basket with him on the floor, but you’ve seen it all year.

As teams meet with him and get their…they know what the information is about him, what kind of teammate he was, what kind of leader he was, what kind of empathy he has for his teammates , this is known. , but you just talk to the teams that started spending time with him and everyone around him knew that it would only improve his stock when they met him and I think he’ll just go pick teams and even spends more time in their organization, it will certainly only help him become No. 1, No. 2 with Washington, or maybe even No. 3 with the Rockets.

Getting Nos. 4 and 8 would be a good move if the Hawks determine they like Clingan the most. However, I think Sarr is the best prospect in the draft and they should stay put and take him. This is not a trade I would make. It will be interesting to see what Landry Fields and the Hawks front office decide to do with the No. 1 pick and they have to make the right decision. This is a critical offseason for Atlanta and they need to reshape this roster the right way.