NBA Draft: Grading Every Atlanta Hawks First-Round Pick Since 2010

Who has been the best first-round pick by the Hawks since 2010?

Apr 10, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) goes to the basket against the Charlotte Hornets during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

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 for the future.

While it will be a while before we can grade whoever the Hawks pick at No. 1 this year, how have the Hawks done in the last 10-15 years? I am here to go back and look at every Atlanta Hawks first-round pick since 2010 and try to give it a fair grade.

Let's give this a shot.

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 some of the players the Hawks could have drafted and kept? A couple of second-round picks actually went on to have solid careers in the NBA. Hassan Whiteside (No. 33) outperformed his draft position, as did Lance Stephenson (No. 40). Notably, current Hawks GM Landry Fields was selected 39th overall by the New York Knicks in the second round of the 2010.

Grade: F

James did not go on to have a notable career, but the Hawks could have gotten a solid player at No. 24 instead of a player they did not even keep.

2011- Atlanta did not have a first round pick

2012- John Jenkins (Vanderbilt), No. 23 Overall

I remember being a fan of Jenkins when the Hawks drafted him, as he was supposed to be an elite shooter and give the Hawks a dangerous weapon on offense. It never really panned out that way though. To his credit, Jenkins did end up playing eight seasons, but only three with the Hawks. He averaged 5.6 PPG during his three seasons and shot 38% from three during his career. He would go on to play for Phoenix, Dallas, New York and Washington.

Grade: F

It feels harsh to give another F grade because picking later in the 1st round is hard, but Jenkins did not do much for the Hawks. There were notable players that went after Jenkins that would have been better and while hindsight is 20/20, Atlanta really missed out on not getting some of these guys. Other players that were 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 went on to have a very nice career for the Hawks before leaving. Schroder developed into a starter for the Hawks before the Hawks drafted Trae Young and he was no longer a fit for the roster. Schroder played five seasons in Atlanta, averaging 12.9 PPG and 4.8 APG during his time with the Hawks. He could never develop a consistent three-point shot which hindered him a bit, but Schroder was a nice player for a pretty solid era for the Hawks, which saw them go to the Conference Finals for the first time and then get to the second round the year after. He has bounced around the league since then, having his best seasons with the Thunder and the Lakers.

There are a few players taken after Schroder that would have been better picks. Mason Plumlee (22nd) and Rudy Gobert (27th) are the only guys I feel confident are better than Schroder. Still, the only guy you really regret not getting is Gobert, who has gone on to have a great career, winning four Defensive Player Of The Year Awards.

Grade: B

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

Payne did not play much for the Hawks and was even traded to Minnesota during his rookie year. He would have a couple of solid seasons for the Timberwolves and then played one season in Orlando. Payne tragically passed away in 2022. Some 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 really solid role player, but he might not have had a place on that Hawks team at that point in time. There were some players Atlanta could have drafted and might 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 is hard to grade a draft pick that never plays for you, but Oubre or some others could have helped Atlanta at that time.

Grade: F

2016- DeAndre Bembry (Saint Joseph's), No. 21 Overall

Bembry was a solid role player for the Hawks at a time when the Hawks were about to begin their transition into a rebuild, but he never turned into 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 2018-2019, where he played 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 skillset.

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

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

For six seasons, John Collins was a key piece for the Atlanta Hawks. Since being drafted in 2017, Collins found immediate success and was a great pick-and-roll partner for point guard Trae Young and was one of the Hawks's better defenders. He was arguably the second-best player on the team when the Hawks made their run to the Eastern Conference Finals, but there was another thing that defined his tenure in Atlanta. 

That would be trade rumors. 

Even when Collins signed his contract extension, he was still in trade rumors every year leading up to the trade deadline and into the summer. In what should be seen as a salary dump move, the Hawks traded Collins to the Utah Jazz last summer for a second-round pick. 

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

Notable players taken after Collins include Jarrett Allen (22nd), OG Anunoby (23rd), Kyle Kuzma (27), 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 a lot of ways to talk about this pick and the trade. For this, I am just going to grade the player that Young has become, while also talking about the other first-round picks. Everyone knows that Doncic was traded for Young and first-round pick (later become Cam Reddish) and there is no doubt that Doncic is the better player. Still, that should not let people not recognize how great Young has been. He is arguably the second-greatest Hawk of all time already and can certainly pass Dominique Wilkins in time. He has made an All-NBA team and is a three-time All-Star and is one of the top passers in the NBA. He is often criticized for his defense, but he has made improvements on that end. He is 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 forever be remembered in Atlanta for his performance in Game Seven vs the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals. He was traded to the Kings two summers ago in another salary-saving move by the front office. He averaged 11.4 PPG in Atlanta while shooting 38% from three.

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

There were some notable names 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 picking apart the Doncic-Young trade, but the Hawks had some misses after that, particularly 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 get Hunter at No. 4 and then looked like they got a steal with Reddish at No. 10. Hunter has turned into a solid player for Atlanta, while Reddish never realized his potential and was later traded to the Knicks. Hunter has battled injuries and inconsistent play while in Atlanta and his future is up in the air heading into the summer. He did average a career high 15.6 PPG this season and shot a career best 38.5% from three. He has also been a really 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 really good player for the Hawks since being drafted, but he could hit another level if he is able to be the starter. He is averaging 8.5 PPG and 6.0 RPG and has been a very good defender over the course of his career. He signed an extension last summer, but his future is an interesting topic in the wake of Atlanta winning the draft lottery. Okongwu could be an A+ if given a chance to start, but that remains to be seen for now.

Grade: B

For now, I am going to stop there because I still think there needs to be more data on guys like Jalen Johnson, AJ Griffin, and especially Kobe Bufkin. Johnson took a huge leap this season and looks like a star, but it has been his only season as a starter. Griffin had a solid rookie year but fell out of the rotation this year. Bufkin has only played one season in the NBA. All of these guys have looked good, but there is still more date that has to come in before a fair grade is given.