Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields, right, and NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum pose for photos after Tatum announced that the Hawks had won the first pick in the NBA draft, during the draft lottery in Chicago on May 12.Nam Y. Huh/The Associated Press
The Atlanta Hawks won the NBA draft lottery on Sunday, landing the No. 1 pick and a potential cornerstone player in a year where there’s no clear-cut choice.
The Hawks hit the jackpot despite just 3-per-cent odds after finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference at 36-46. They dropped their final six regular-season games and lost to the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the play-in tournament.
The Hawks haven’t won a postseason series since a surprising run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2021. They got knocked out in the first round in 2022 and 2023.
Atlanta has some big decisions to make this off-season, including whether to break up its backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. General manager Landry Fields can build with the No. 1 pick, though it’s not clear who will be taken first after Victor Wembanyama was the obvious choice for San Antonio last year.
Washington, Houston, San Antonio and Detroit rounded out the top five. The draft is June 26-27 in Brooklyn.
The Toronto Raptors fell to eighth, meaning the pick will go to San Antonio as part of the trade for centre Jakob Poeltl in February, 2023. The 2024 first-round pick, one of three sent from the Raptors to the Spurs, was a top-six protected draft choice. Toronto will get picks at No. 19 and No. 31.