New Mock Draft Sees The Hawks Take Alex Sarr No. 1, Trade Trae Young In Blockbuster Move To Get Back Into Top Five

Jackson Caudell | May 18, 2024

Apr 12, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) drives to the basket / Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA playoffs are still raging on, but for the teams eliminated or the ones that did not make them, the offseason has already begun. One of the first big days of the offseason was the NBA Draft Lottery, which the Atlanta Hawks shockingly won. Atlanta was already going to be one of the most interesting teams this offseason, but them winning the No. 1 pick added a whole new layer to the Hawks offseason. Will the Hawks keep the pick? Will they trade it for a veteran player? What happens with their backcourt of Dejounte Murray and Trae Young? Everything is going to be evaluated for the Hawks and they could look like a completely different team by the time the summer is over.

Most mock drafts since the Hawks won the lottery have seen Atlanta take Alex Sarr, the 7'1 220 LBS forward/center from France. Sarr fits a huge need for the Hawks, as he is projected to be an excellent defender with length and athleticism, though his offensive game needs to come along. In a new mock draft from Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley, he has the Hawks taking Sarr with the No. 1 pick, but then making a blockbuster trade to get back into the top five to get another prospect. After taking Sarr with the first pick, Atlanta then sent star point guard Trae Yosdung to the Spurs for Keldon Johnson, Zach Collins, the No. 4 pick, their own 2025 first-round pick from the Dejounte Murray trade, and their own 2026 first-rounder that Atlanta also sent the Spurs in the Murray trade. The Hawks then select Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 4 pick.

Here is what Buckley had to say about the Hawks taking Sarr:

"Alex Sarr seemingly comes closest to being this draft's top prospect. He's the name most frequently found atop mock draft boards, and if Atlanta's against-all-odds climb to No. 1 impacted that at all, it only cemented it.

The Hawks may see him both as the best prospect in the class and the one most able to address their needs. His defense is ahead of his offense, but that's where the Hawks need the biggest boost.

They landed 27th in defensive efficiency, their third consecutive campaign with a bottom-third ranking. He's an all-purpose stopper with the length and athleticism to protect the paint and the fluidity and quickness to chase players around the perimeter.

Offensively, there is considerable room for growth, especially if he's able to play off a playmaker like Trae Young or Dejounte Murray. Sarr will be crushing lobs as soon as he steps foot on an NBA hardwood, but the real intrigue lies with his potential as a spacer and creator.

He could be a dream pick-and-choose partner for whichever guard Atlanta opts to keep."

And here is what he had to say about the huge trade at the No. 4 pick.

"As things stand, the Spurs hold two top-10 picks (Nos. 4 and 8), so if they want to follow the slow-and-steady model for building around Victor Wembanyama, they can do it.

Given how much he showed as a freshman phenom, though, it might already be time to accelerate—especially with the young centerpiece being reportedly "intrigued by the idea" of playing with Trae Young, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

The Hawks, meanwhile, might read their lottery fortune as the sign it's time to pivot toward something new. After nabbing Sarr at No. 1, they could add another lengthy Frenchman in Zaccharie Risacher, who projects as at least an athletic three-and-D and has shown enough flashes of ball-handling and passing to suggest he could become so much more.

Between Sarr, Risacher, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu, the Hawks could be loaded up front sooner than later, and that's before factoring in Keldon Johnson (and, if they see a role for him, Zach Collins).

Atlanta would also regain control of its next two drafts, meaning that if it encounters any growing pains going forward, it would at least reap the rewards of them."

I am still of the belief that the Hawks are going to keep Young and while the Spurs have been repeatedly mentioned as a potential destination for Young if he were to be traded, a recent report from Jake Fischer at Yahoo Sports

"San Antonio personnel would be committing front-office malpractice by not contemplating the opportunity to pair a league assist leader and high-screen maestro like Young to pair with Wembanyama. The Spurs have so far approached building around Wembanyama as an intriguing experiment, where they will weigh all different kinds of variables around their Rookie of the Year. However, according to multiple league figures with knowledge of the situation, any Spurs plans of maneuvering to bring Young to San Antonio have been vastly overstated. The Spurs, sources said, have expressed little interest in obtaining Young to date."

Fischer went on to mention the Lakers as a possible destination for Young, which has been rumored for quite some time.

"Where Young will fall among the pecking order of available talent this offseason has been a predominant question league personnel are discussing throughout this combine week. The Lakers, for example, are one team that holds interest in Young after Los Angeles held trade discussions with Atlanta about Dejounte Murray back in February, sources said. The Lakers are now armed with three first-round picks to pursue a premier talent to team with James and Davis, but Los Angeles will have to consider other options before committing any type of capital for Young."

This would land two players that the Hawks could pair alongside Dejounte Murray, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu. I think the best case scenario for the Hawks if they make this trade would be that either Johnson, Sarr, or Risacher becomes a star player that can carry the team forward. Murray is a good player, but I don't beleive he can be the best player on a championship level team. If Johnson, Sarr, or Risacher makes a big leap, he would not have to be the best player. The Hawks would also get quality depth pieces in Johnson and Collins. I don't think the Hawks should trade Young, bu this does land them another top four pick in this draft, plus they get their own draft picks back for the next two years. They could even consider trading Murray and getting more assets to go into a full rebuild. I highly doubt that happens, but that possibility is opened up in this hypothetical trade.

It should be noted that Atlanta was recently in France to check out Risacher.

Dimanche soir, Atlanta a hérité du premier choix de draft #NBA à la surprise générale.
Quatre jours plus tard, le coach des Hawks, Quin Snyder, et le GM adjoint Kyle Korver ont fait le déplacement jusqu’à Bourg pour observer Zaccharie Risacher en playoffs de #BetclicÉLITE ! pic.twitter.com/N2l9ZrQ2yQ

— Alexandre Lacoste (@Alex__Lacoste) May 16, 2024

This is going to be a pivotal offseason for the future of the Atlanta Hawks franchise. They have to make the proper moves to construct a good roster around one of their guards and that includes making the right selection at No. 1.