On an NBA Draft night that was full of interesting twists and a few surprises, the Atlanta Hawks put the league on notice with a big move to acquire the fourth overall pick in the draft.
The Hawks traded up to acquire the Lakers’ fourth overall selection in the draft, a move that made a lot of sense considering LA’s preference to competing for a title immediately. Atlanta, a rebuilding franchise, pounced on the opportunity to select De’Andre Hunter, a 21-year-old forward out of the University of Virginia.
Hunter is an uber-talented player who averaged 15.2 points per game on 52% shooting for the National Champion Cavaliers last season. He was one of the key pieces of a Tony Bennett team that ended up lifting the NCAA crown.
In Atlanta, he will team up with a number of talented young players that will likely propel the Hawks to become one of the stronger team’s in the Eastern Conference in the future.
The Hawks also selected Duke guard Cam Reddish with the #10 overall pick in last night’s draft, and their two new draftees will pair up with young guard Trae Young, who averaged 19.1 points per game in his rookie season and was named a first-team All-Rookie selection.
The Hawks gave up the 8th, 17th, and 41st overall picks in last night’s draft, but they think that it was a small price to pay for a player of Hunter’s caliber. Both the front office and the team’s fans hope that it will work out and give Atlanta a key piece for its future.
