Could Hawks move up in the draft to land their preferred point guard?

Since really the beginning of the college basketball season, the expected top-four draft picks have been AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Caleb Wilson, and Darryn Peterson in some order. Fast forward to today, and not much has changed. Perhaps a guy like Darius Acuff Jr. has played his way into those conversations a bit, but most still expect the “Big Four” to hold their ground come draft night.

Behind them is another group of ultra-talented freshman guards that starred for major college programs this past season — the aforementioned Acuff, along with Kingston Flemings, Keaton Wagler, and Mikel Brown Jr..

As of now, most mock drafts have the Atlanta Hawks selecting whichever guard remains when they come on the clock, but what if there were a scenario where they could have their pick of the litter?

The Los Angeles Clippers were one of the biggest winners of the draft lottery. They acquired a top-four protected pick from the Indiana Pacers at the trade deadline in exchange for Ivica Zubac. The Pacers then tanked their way toward the bottom of the standings, only to land the fifth pick in the lottery — an absolute best-case scenario for Los Angeles, who have been described as a team potentially willing to move down the board for future assets given they do not control their own first-round pick until 2030.

Now, the jump from 8 to 5 might not seem enormous, but in a draft class this loaded, it would likely take a massive haul for the Hawks to move up. Simply packaging Pick No. 23 probably wouldn’t come close to getting it done. Atlanta would almost certainly have to include either part of its young core or a future first-round pick just to get the conversation started. And if the Clippers open the door to those discussions, there will be no shortage of teams calling.

To this point in his tenure as Hawks general manager, Onsi Saleh has taken a measured approach, prioritizing asset accumulation while continuing to build around Atlanta’s young talent. That’s how the Hawks now find themselves holding two first-round picks — including one inside the top 10 — despite finishing sixth in the Eastern Conference.

A move like this would be a clear shift in philosophy, but opportunities to land a potential future All-Star that cleanly fits the timeline of the current core aren’t likely to come around in the future. If the Clippers are open for business, you would have to imagine the Hawks will at least make the call.

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(Photo by Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire)