Draft Atlanta Hawks Pick-Swap Watch Thread

Will the 2026 Hawks Swap Convey?

  • Yes

  • No


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Atlanta doesn't actually own the Spurs' pick swap outright. It's this:

More favorable of (i) less favorable of ATL and SAN and (ii) less favorable of (a) CLE and (b) more favorable of UTH 1-8 and MIN [or (ii) CLE if UTH not conveyable] then less favorable of (i) and (ii) to CLE;
more favorable of ATL and SAN to SAN


If you can make sense of it. Right now Cleveland gets the Spurs pick, Atlanta gets the Cleveland pick, which is currently 17. So I guess they could swap their own pick for what Cleveland winds up getting.

But no way in hell am I giving their swap back for Risacher. That's full on nuts. He's barely mediocre and is on a #1 draft pick salary.
Essentially, ATL has the right to swap the SA pick with the CLE pick (acquired in the Hunter trade). Giving them the swap back essentially just has the effect of making that swap with CLE worthless.

So getting their swap back still holds tremendous value for ATL, as they could indeed just go ahead and tank and try to double dip at the top of this draft.

I personally don't think Okongwu is worth it, and Risacher is a trap. He'd be a project that wouldn't deserve minutes ahead of Vassell or Champ but we'd feel compelled to play him because of his #1 pick pedigree (even though we shouldn't).

If we want to explore scenarios where we give ATL's its pick back, it would have to be in the context of a 3-team deal where we get something more valuable back, IMO.
 
Honestly the Hawks are so close to a bottom 6 record with a bit of tanking. Their best interest might be to let the Spurs pick off their carcass with whoever they want outside of Jalen Johnson and NAW in exchange for this year pick swap back.

With the Pels pick up they could have two top 5 picks in a stacked draft and come back next year with JJ, NAW and two of Peterson, Dybansta, Boozer, Wilson, Flemings and max salary cap space in the off season.

I’ll take Okongwu and Risacher for this years swap and next years pick back.
Spurs need to keep this year's pick swap imo, but if they'll give them Okongwu for next year's pick back they should tbh.
 
You guys are crazy about Okongwu. That guy hasn't been impactful since he's been in the league. I would pick him up cheap but not for a pick.
 
You guys are crazy about Okongwu. That guy hasn't been impactful since he's been in the league. I would pick him up cheap but not for a pick.
Totally. He’s highly overrated on this board. It hasn’t fully clicked for him
 
Only player from Hawks, Spurs should be interested in is NAW. He fits, good contract long-term.

Rischer is a prospect, Daniels, JJ not available, Okongwu does not it.

But NAW is not worth giving up this swap rights.
 
Funny that ATL traded Trae Young cause he hurts their defense, yet their defense remains to be swiss cheese without him. Maybe Trae wasn't that big of a problem?

I absolutely would not trade the 26 swap. There are so many good PF options between picks 8 and 20 and having that player on a rookie contract for 4 years will be super valuable down the line.

Now if they are willing to trade Okongwu for their 27 pick back, I'll do it.
 
Atlanta doesn't actually own the Spurs' pick swap outright. It's this:

More favorable of (i) less favorable of ATL and SAN and (ii) less favorable of (a) CLE and (b) more favorable of UTH 1-8 and MIN [or (ii) CLE if UTH not conveyable] then less favorable of (i) and (ii) to CLE;
more favorable of ATL and SAN to SAN


If you can make sense of it. Right now Cleveland gets the Spurs pick, Atlanta gets the Cleveland pick, which is currently 17. So I guess they could swap their own pick for what Cleveland winds up getting.

But no way in hell am I giving their swap back for Risacher. That's full on nuts. He's barely mediocre and is on a #1 draft pick salary.
Wow, so Atlanta can't get their swap back? Does Cleveland have the right to swap between whatever pick Atlanta gets after the Spurs? I'm confused.

Essentially, ATL has the right to swap the SA pick with the CLE pick (acquired in the Hunter trade). Giving them the swap back essentially just has the effect of making that swap with CLE worthless.

So getting their swap back still holds tremendous value for ATL, as they could indeed just go ahead and tank and try to double dip at the top of this draft.

I personally don't think Okongwu is worth it, and Risacher is a trap. He'd be a project that wouldn't deserve minutes ahead of Vassell or Champ but we'd feel compelled to play him because of his #1 pick pedigree (even though we shouldn't).

If we want to explore scenarios where we give ATL's its pick back, it would have to be in the context of a 3-team deal where we get something more valuable back, IMO.
Thanks for explaining it. I think I agree with you. If there's a chance that pick could be a good lottery pick, I'd rather not give it up for Okongwu or Risacher.

Only player from Hawks, Spurs should be interested in is NAW. He fits, good contract long-term.

Rischer is a prospect, Daniels, JJ not available, Okongwu does not it.

But NAW is not worth giving up this swap rights.
I wanted to try and get NAW during the off-season. He's played even better than I thought he would. Wolves really should have tried harder to keep him and get rid of someone else. Don't know what they would have had to do to keep him, though, and/or if it was even possible.
.
 
Okongwu will have have two more years at only 16 millions for 16.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1 block, 1.2 steal shooting 48% and 36.4%. You have a starting PF on a decent contract who can rebound and shoot the same or better (now) than Barnes. Do people really believe that they'll get a better PF with the 10th pick of the draft who can contribute right away ? Not to be mean but the Spurs history of drafting in that range is not that great
 
This pick/swap is all but off-limits. Only way I see it being dealt is if ATL wants to tank and get two bites at the 2026 lottery, and then it would require a 3rd party - I'd pass on either Risacher or Okongwu at this point. .., I suppose I'd listen to Atlanta if they came offering two future 1sts for the swap back, but I don't think this would happen.

We're getting a great pick here there's no better opportunity to address PF, especially if he comes with a rookie contract.
 
Okongwu will have have two more years at only 16 millions for 16.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1 block, 1.2 steal shooting 48% and 36.4%. You have a starting PF on a decent contract who can rebound and shoot the same or better (now) than Barnes. Do people really believe that they'll get a better PF with the 10th pick of the draft who can contribute right away ? Not to be mean but the Spurs history of drafting in that range is not that great
The gamble is, some of us think it could end up getting lucky again if Atlanta fall out of the 10th spot, or lose the play-in.

The other thing is, while I like his 36.4% from three point range, this is the first season he's shot it with a bit of volume. Every other season it's been less than 1 make per game (0.4 3PM was his previous high last year on 2.0 3PA).
This season it's 2.0 3P makes on 5.4 three point attempts. I don't know if I trust him as being a good three point shooter yet.
 
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The gamble is, some of us think it could end up getting lucky again if Atlanta fall out of the 10th spot, or lose the play-in.
you mean a top4 pick? Yeah sure, if you get Boozer, you have a better player on a rookie contract. I'm looking at the PF in the 8-15 range, granted that I don't follow college ball too much, and I don't see a starting PF. Who is this great PF who can contribute right away?
We need a starting PF and shooting for next year. I don't think that Castle and Harper will be shooting 35% from 3 next year, Barnes has shown that he is done as a starter, Sochan was a failed experiment, Carter won't be much better, Fox will start his max contract, Wemby will sign his. We need help now on a decent contract.
 
I don't follow college basketball at all. Maybe if I lived in the US, but since I don't, I don't watch it at all. Sometimes I've follow a certain player. like last year, I followed Cooper Flagg, but that was about it.

I don't disagree with trading the pick, but I don know if I want to trade it for Okongwu. I think there can be a PF type player to be had in the projected range for the Atlanta swap (i'll have to defer to other knowledgeable posters here who watch NCAA to give names), but I don't watch any college basketball to say.
 
Okongwu will have have two more years at only 16 millions for 16.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1 block, 1.2 steal shooting 48% and 36.4%. You have a starting PF on a decent contract who can rebound and shoot the same or better (now) than Barnes. Do people really believe that they'll get a better PF with the 10th pick of the draft who can contribute right away ? Not to be mean but the Spurs history of drafting in that range is not that great
I want them to draft an older player like Lendeborg or Haugh. Both of those would be rotation players from day 1 and might even be better than Barnes. I definitely want that for 6 million per year.
 
Yeah, I'm not giving up the '26 swap for Okongwu tbh. As long as the Spurs have a shot at a Top 3 pick, they're not prying that swap out of BWrong's cold dead fingers :st-lol:
 
I want them to draft an older player like Lendeborg or Haugh. Both of those would be rotation players from day 1 and might even be better than Barnes. I definitely want that for 6 million per year.
lendeborg been trash last few games.Haugh been consisent so far.
 
Okongwu will have have two more years at only 16 millions for 16.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1 block, 1.2 steal shooting 48% and 36.4%. You have a starting PF on a decent contract who can rebound and shoot the same or better (now) than Barnes. Do people really believe that they'll get a better PF with the 10th pick of the draft who can contribute right away ? Not to be mean but the Spurs history of drafting in that range is not that great
My personal hesitation with Okongwu is that I don't really see him as a PF, but rather as a C. I admit, however, I have not watched a ton of ATL games. With that said, I think he's more of a paint anchor type defender, not a perimeter defending PF, which makes him redundant on defense with Wemby and Kornet. Playing Okongwu at the PF sounds like a recipe for more open 3s, IMO.

I shared this opinion elsewhere, and it is just my opinion, but I think (for now) we should be thinking about another 3/4 in the mold of Barnes (but hopefully with more active defense) rather than a big "traditional" PF. Hauser fits the bill for me. I also still like Dean Wade, he's more of a traditional PF who can shoot, so I wonder if he creates the same perimeter defense issue as Okongwu, but he'd be a lot cheaper to acquire.
 
CJ when he realized the Spurs had that Hawks swap:

vldr2i5gsgy01.jpg
 
This pick/swap is all but off-limits. Only way I see it being dealt is if ATL wants to tank and get two bites at the 2026 lottery, and then it would require a 3rd party - I'd pass on either Risacher or Okongwu at this point. .., I suppose I'd listen to Atlanta if they came offering two future 1sts for the swap back, but I don't think this would happen.

We're getting a great pick here there's no better opportunity to address PF, especially if he comes with a rookie contract.
Here's the deal I'd consider that gives ATL their swap back.

Maybe this is a little too far out there, MIA would include picks going to MEM in this scenario.

1768760362720.webp
 
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