2024 NBA Draft: Five Best Available Players Atlanta Could Target On Day Two

Could the Hawks try to trade back into the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft?

Mar 31, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Kyle Filipowski (30) controls the ball against North Carolina State Wolfpack forward Mohamed Diarra (23) in the second half in the finals of the South Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at American Airline Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Day one of the NBA Draft is in the books. The Atlanta Hawks were first on the clock tonight and they decided to stick at No. 1 and take French forward Zaccharie Risacher. Risacher is going to try and come in and help the Hawks with their shooting and their wing defense, two things the Hawks really needed.

While the Hawks only have the No. 1 pick in this year's draft, could they try and acquire a second-round pick to take a player they really like? There are still some good players on the board and they could intrigue the Hawks.

Atlanta could try to acquire another first or second-round pick via trade or they could try to buy a second-round pick. That has become a popular thing to do for teams and second-round picks have become really valuable with the new CBA as Bryan Toporek at Forbes explains:

"Second-round picks should also become more valuable in the coming years thanks to the new CBA. Previously, teams had to dip into cap space or a salary-cap exception such as the mid-level exception to sign second-round picks to contracts. If they signed them using the minimum-player exception, they were limited to offering no more than two years.

The new CBA introduced a second-round pick exception that allows teams to sign second-rounders to three- or four-year deals without dipping into cap space or their MLE. Such contracts either must be two years with a third-year team option or three years with a fourth-year team option, and they pay slightly more than the minimum salary for players with no NBA experience.

The Sacramento Kings became the first team to use the second-round exception when they signed No. 34 overall pick Colby Jones to a four-year, $8.8 million contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The Atlanta Hawks followed suit when they signed No. 39 overall pick Mouhamed Gueye to a four-year, $7.7 million deal, according to Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. That figures to become increasingly common in recent years, particularly for early second-rounders.

Back in the early and mid-2010s, it was relatively common for teams to sell second-round picks to one another. For instance, the Chicago Bulls traded No. 38 pick Jordan Bell to the Golden State Warriors during the height of their dynasty in 2017 for $3.5 million in cash. Four years later, the Philadelphia 76ers sent $2 million in cash to the New Orleans Pelicans to acquire the No. 53 pick, per Charania."

If the Hawks want to acquire another pick, those are the routes they are going to have to take. A team could be looking to get out of the draft and not want to select a player and the Hawks could attempt to buy their pick. If they did that, who should they target?

1. Johnny Furphy- 6'8, SG/SF, Kansas

I was surprised to see Furphy not go off the board in the first round of the NBA Draft and I could see Atlanta wanting to get back into the draft to get another wing who can shoot. There is some overlap there with Risacher, but as we all know, you can never have enough wing players that can shoot.

2. Kyle Filipowski- 6'11, C, Duke

Filipowski is another player I was suprised to see fall. He is a stretch five that improved on defense this season and I did not think that he was going to fall completely out of the first round. The Hawks could be looking at moving Clint Capela and could use a backup center behind Onyeka Okongwu if that is the direction they go in.

3. Kevin McCullar Jr. (SG/SF, Kansas, 6'5, 205 LBS)

While there are some injury concerns over McCullar Jr, I think he would be a nice defensive player in the league and someone the Hawks should look at. The offensive concerns are there though and Atlanta might not want to have that.

4. Jonathan Mogbo (6'6, 217 LBS, San Francisco)

Mogbo is one of the most interesting prospects in this class, with super long arms and impressive athelticism. The Hawks have done a good job of developling players in the G-League and he would certainly have to start there and develop, but the tools are there for him to be an intriguing NBA player with traits.

5. Harrison Ingram (SG/SF, UNC, 6'5, 234 LBS)

Ingram and McCullar Jr are similar players. I think Ingram could be an excellent defender in the league and a good rebounder at the next level. He could be a 3-and-D player off the bench