Ranking Every Atlanta Hawks First Round Pick Since 2010

For the first time since 1975, the Atlanta Hawks have the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. They won the Draft Lottery for the first time since 1975 and now face one of the most crucial decisions in recent franchise history. There is no perceived superstar talent in this draft, but finding the right piece for this team is crucial moving forward.

Although it will be a while before we can rank who the Hawks will pick first overall this year, how have the Hawks performed over the last 10-15 years? I’m here to go back and look at every Atlanta Hawks first round pick since 2010 and try to give them a fair rating.

Let’s try this.

2010- Damion James, No. 24 overall (traded to the Nets)

James never played for the Hawks and was traded to the Nets, where he would play for three seasons before spending one with the Spurs.

Who were the players the Hawks could have signed and kept? A few second-round picks actually had solid NBA careers. Hassan Whiteside (No. 33) outperformed his draft position, as did Lance Stephenson (No. 40). Notably, current Hawks general manager Landry Fields was selected 39th overall by the New York Knicks in the 2010 second round.

Rating: F

James didn’t have a stellar career, but the Hawks could have had a solid player at No. 24 instead of a player they didn’t even keep.

2011- Atlanta had no first round pick

2012- John Jenkins (Vanderbilt), 23rd overall

I remember being a fan of Jenkins when the Hawks drafted him because he was supposed to be an elite shooter and give the Hawks a dangerous weapon on offense. However, it never really worked out that way. To his credit, Jenkins ended up playing eight seasons, but only three with the Hawks. He averaged 5.6 PPG in his three seasons and shot 38% from three during his career. He will then play for Phoenix, Dallas, New York and Washington.

Rating: F

It seems harsh to give another F grade because picking later in the 1st round is difficult, but Jenkins hasn’t done much for the Hawks. There were some notable players who went after Jenkins, it would have been better and while hindsight is 20/20, Atlanta really missed out by not having some of these guys. Other players taken after Jenkins include Miles Plumlee (26th), Festus Ezeli (30th), Jae Crowder (34th), Draymond Green (35th), Khris Middleton (39th) and Will Barton (40th). 29 other teams missed out on these guys on draft night, including the Hawks.

2013- Dennis Schroder (Germany), 17th overall

The first player on this list who had a very good career with the Hawks before leaving. Schroder became a starter for the Hawks before the Hawks drafted Trae Young and he was no longer fit to be on the roster. Schroder played five seasons in Atlanta, averaging 12.9 PPG and 4.8 APG during his time with the Hawks. He was never able to develop a consistent three-point shot, which hampered him a bit, but Schroder was a good player during a pretty solid era for the Hawks, which saw them make it to the conference finals for the first time, then advance to the second round. the year after. Since then, he has bounced around the league, having his best seasons with the Thunder and Lakers.

There are a few players taken after Schroder who would have been better choices. Mason Plumlee (22nd) and Rudy Gobert (27th) are the only guys I’m convinced are better than Schroder. Still, the one guy you really regret not having is Gobert, who had a great career, winning four Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Category B

2014- Adreian Payne (Michigan State), No. 15 overall

Payne didn’t play much for the Hawks and was even traded to Minnesota during his junior year. He would have a few solid seasons for the Timberwolves, then play a season in Orlando. Payne tragically passed away in 2022. Notable players selected after Payne include Jusuf Nurkic (16th), Gary Harris (19th), Clint Capela (25th), Bogdan Bogdanovic (27th), Kyle Anderson (30th), Joe Harris (33rd) , Spencer Dinwiddie (38th), Jerami Grant (39th), Nikola Jokic (41st), Dwight Powell (45th) and Jordan Clarkson (46th).

2015- Kelly Oubre (Kansas), 15th overall (traded to Wizards)

Oubre never played for the Hawks and was traded to the Wizards. Oubre has become a very solid role player, but he may not have had a place on the Hawks team at that time. There were some players that Atlanta could have drafted that could have helped. Terry Rozier (16th), Delon Wright (20th), Bobby Portis (22nd), Tyus Jones (24th), Larry Nance Jr (27th), Kevon Looney (30th), Josh Richardson (40th), Norm Powell (46th). It’s hard to grade a draft pick that never plays for you, but Oubre or others could have helped Atlanta at that point.

Rating: F

2016- DeAndre Bembry (Saint Joseph’s), 21st overall

Bembry was a solid role player for the Hawks at a time when the Hawks were about to begin their transition to a rebuild, but he never became much more than that. Bembry played in Atlanta for four seasons, averaging 6.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG and 1.9 APG. His best season came in 2018-19, where he played in every game and averaged a career-high 8.2 PPG. He was a solid defender, but never developed a three-point shot or any truly high-level skills.

Players drafted after Bembry include Pascal Siakam (27th), Dejounte Murray (29th), Ivica Zubac (33rd) and Malcolm Brogdon (36th).

Grade: C+

2017- John Collins (Wake Forest), 19th overall

First pick of the Hawks rebuild, John Collins would have a very good career for the Hawks before being traded to the Utah Jazz.

For six seasons, John Collins was a key part of the Atlanta Hawks. Since being drafted in 2017, Collins has enjoyed immediate success and has been an excellent pick-and-roll partner for point guard Trae Young and has been one of the Hawks’ best defenders. He was arguably the second-best player on the team when the Hawks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, but there was something else that defined his tenure in Atlanta.

These would be trade rumors.

Even when Collins signed his contract extension, he was still the subject of trade rumors every year leading up to the trade deadline and into the summer. In what should be considered a pay cut, the Hawks traded Collins to the Utah Jazz last summer for a second-round pick.

During his career in Atlanta, Collins averaged 15.8 PPG and 8.0 RPG and helped Atlanta advance to the playoffs three times.

Notable players taken after Collins include Jarrett Allen (22nd), OG Anunoby (23rd), Kyle Kuzma (27th), Derrick White (28th), Josh Hart (30th), Isaiah Hartenstein (43rd), Dillon Brooks (45th) and Monte Morris (51st).

Grade: A

2018- Trae Young (traded Luka Doncic to Dallas for Young and a first-round pick), Kevin Huerter (Maryland), 19th overall, and Omari Spellman (Villanova) 30th overall

There are many ways to talk about this choice and the exchange. For this, I’m just going to note the player Young has become, while also talking about the other first round picks. Everyone knows that Doncic was traded for Young and a first round pick (later becoming Cam Reddish) and there is no doubt that Doncic is the better player. Still, that shouldn’t stop people from recognizing how great Young has been. He is arguably already the second greatest Hawk of all time and can certainly surpass Dominique Wilkins in time. He has made an All-NBA team, is a three-time All-Star and is one of the best passers in the NBA. He is often criticized for his defense, but he has made progress in that direction. He’s going to be included in a million trade rumors this summer, but I still think Atlanta keeps him.

Huerter is a good NBA player and will always be remembered in Atlanta for his performance in Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals. He was traded to the Kings two summers ago in part of another salary saving measure on the part of the front office. He averaged 11.4 PPG in Atlanta while shooting 38% from three.

Spellman only played two seasons in the NBA, including one in Atlanta.

Some notable names were taken after Spellman in the second round. Jalen Brunson (33rd), Mitchell Robinson (36th), Gary Trent Jr (37th), Jarred Vanderbilt (41st) and De’Anthony Melton (46th).

Most will spend their time sorting out the Doncic-Young trade, but the Hawks missed a few duds afterward, notably with the 30th pick.

Grades: Young-A+, Huerter-B+ and Spellman-F

2019- De’Andre Hunter (Virginia), 4th overall and Cam Reddish (Duke), 10th overall

The Hawks made a big move to put Hunter at #4, then appeared to have pulled off a steal with Reddish at #10. Hunter became a solid player for Atlanta, while Reddish never fulfilled his potential and was later traded to the Knicks. Hunter has dealt with injuries and inconsistent play in Atlanta and his future is uncertain heading into the summer. He averaged a career-high 15.6 PPG this season and shot a career-best 38.5% from three. He was also a very good defender for the Hawks.

Some notable players taken after Reddish include Cam Johnson (11th), PJ Washington (12th), Tyler Herro (13th), Keldon Johnson (29th) and Nic Claxton (31st).

Grade: Hunter-B, Reddish-C-

2020- Onyeka Okongwu (USC), 6th overall

Okongwu has been a very good player for the Hawks since he was drafted, but he could reach another level if he is able to be a starter. He averages 8.5 PPG and 6.0 RPG and has been a very good defender during his career. He signed an extension last summer, but his future is an interesting topic after Atlanta won the draft. Okongwu could be an A+ if he gets a chance to start, but that remains to be seen for now.

Category B

For now, I’ll stop there because I still think more data is needed on guys like Jalen Johnson, AJ Griffin, and especially Kobe Bufkin. Johnson has taken a big step forward this season and looks like a star, but this is his only season as a starter. Griffin had a solid rookie year, but fell out of the rotation this year. Bufkin only played one season in the NBA. All of these guys look good, but there are still plenty of dates to come before a fair rating is given.