Atlanta Hawks
Needs: Capitalize on the first pick
Picks: 1
Despite finishing 10th in the conference, Atlanta finds itself holding the #1 pick in this year’s draft. In most years, that would be a franchise altering boon that could catapult them right back into the playoffs. This year, however, it is a major question mark. There is no consensus #1 pick waiting for them. Instead, they are reportedly selecting between Zaccharie Risacher (of France), or Donovan Clingan or a trade back. Player: Alexandre Sarr] did not work out for them, and apparently the feeling is mutual. If they opt to go Risacher, they would be getting a three-and-D player with good size and skill, but lacking ideal athleticism and is unable to really create his own offense. If they end up with Clingan they will ultimately have to finally pull the trigger on a trade of either Clint Capela or Onyeka Okongwu – which is something that’s been rumored to happen for years now. The third option is one the Hawks have insisted that they are not seriously considering, but it could be a smokescreen. If they chose to trade back, they could have some intriguing options – including the rumored deal with the Spurs for #4 and #8 (which would put Atlanta in a more logical position to select UCONN’s Donovan Clingan who they are said to be fans of. The Thunder might consider throwing them the 12th pick and some future draft capital to make a deal, and all it takes is one team to fall in love with one of the top two options and they could make an offer that Atlanta would have to strongly consider. With the Hawks going 36-46, it’s really important for them that whatever they opt to do, they don’t mess this opportunity up. Their roster is currently designed to be in win-now mode with players like Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, DeAndre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Okongwu all locked into lucrative multiyear deals.
Washington Wizards
Needs: Franchise player, Rebounding, consistency, resign Tyus Jones
Picks: 2, 26, 51
Washington has a reputation of being a team led by young, offensively gifted players in Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole who just haven’t put it together yet. However, Kuzma is going to be 29 this upcoming season and Poole is 25, so it’s unlikely they are all of a sudden going to mature into reliable, team first players. However, the Wizards have to find a way to make it work because they are offensively gifted. Ideally, Washington would like to bring in a low usage player that can still have an outsized impact for them in the coming years. They also need a lot of help rebounding the ball, where they were 29th last season. For this reason, it makes sense that Washington feels comfortable with Alexandre Sarr at #2. He provides them some size that doesn’t need the ball while they develop the offensive aspects of his game. He’s also a player with a lot of potential, more of a sure bet to be good on the defensive end, but possesses the tantilizing upside that they are looking for. They also own the 26th pick of the draft, and could go a number of different ways with it. While I would think they would want to bring back Tyus Jones, there is a chance he looks to go elsewhere and that could lead them to using #26 on a point guard. Options likely to be available then include Marquette’s Tyler Kolek or Creighton’s Trey Alexander. In all likelihood, Washington will look to take the best player available late in the first round though.
Charlotte Hornets
Needs: Frontcourt, Focus and better health from LaMelo Ball
Picks: 6, 42
It was an ugly season for Charlotte, ending the campaign 21-61. LaMelo continues to struggle with his health and played only 22 games. And when he does play, he plays more for highlights than to win games. On the bright side, last year’s number two overall pick, Brandon Miller, looked the part and showed that he could be a foundational piece for this roster moving forward. He still has a lot of room to grow, but his size and shot making ability is a tough combination to find. Also, Miles Bridges came back and played very well for them. With his history, it’s very likely Charlotte will be able to bring him back on a reasonable contract this offseason as well. As far as their approach to this offseason, it should simply be to bring in as much talent as they can get their hands on. For a team that struggled to score the ball in the half court and couldn’t stop anybody from scoring, it will be important for them to stock pile as much talent as possible and build depth in their roster. With the 6th pick, they seem like a logical destination for somebody like Cody Williams of Colorado], or Ronald Holland of the G-League, who have some defensive tools that could see either become their lockdown wing on that side of the ball while running the break alongside Miller, Ball and Bridges. They will almost certainly hope that Ball can come back healthy and focused, and that his presence will help bolster the offense, but that means addressing defense is paramount this offseason.
Miami Heat
Needs: Frontcourt depth, facilitating point guard
Picks: 15, 43
The Heat slid back a bit this season after a Finals appearance the previous season (although their season record was very similar). This year some of their flaws were more exposed, and the cracks are showing in their roster. The team lacks a point guard that is skilled at getting them into their offense and setting up teammates. Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier are both score first guards with limited ability to set others up consistently. They are both capable of doing it to some degree, but it then takes away from what they do best – scoring the basketball themselves. Jimmy Butler remains their top player, but he is about to be 35 and is politicking for a sizeable contract to take him into the twilight of his career. Meanwhile Bam Adebayo remains elite defensively, but there isn’t much behind him on the bench in terms of size and even with him Miami lacks any kind of length or shot blocking inside. If Miami is to get back to contender status, they need to address these issues. As the lone first apron team in the division, it becomes that much more difficult for them to make the necessary moves to improve their roster. They do, however, have the 15th pick in the draft, and there could be some help available for them there. Carlton Carrington of Pitt, Jared McCain of Duke, and Isaiah Collier of USC could possibly be there if Miami wants to choose a lead guard, and if they decide they want to address their frontcourt issues, Purdue’s Zach Edey, Baylor’s Yves Missi, and Indiana’s Kel’el Ware are all options as well. And because Miami is Miami, you can always count on them being a destination for free agents. Even though they are very limited in how much they can spend, I would expect for a significant (although not elite) free agent that misses out on the pay day they want could opt to take a one year prove it deal in South Beach. Also, because it is Miami after all, if any team is going to find an undrafted player and turn them into a rotation piece, it’s probably the Heat.
Orlando Magic
Needs: Shooting
Picks: 18, 47
Orlando took a sizeable step forward this year behind the play of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. They went from a 34-48 team the year before, to a 47-35 team that went to a game seven in their first round series against the Cavs. They are in the final stages of their rebuild, as now they have their star – they just have to surround him with enough talent to take yet another step forward. The glaring weakness when you look at the numbers from this last season is their shooting. They were 24th in three point shooting percentage and made the least amount of threes of any team in the league. Part of that can be attributed to them playing a slower brand of basketball, but it will be important to spread the floor to maximize the talents of Banchero and Wagner. Wagner had been a good shooter in his first two seasons, but slipped way down to 28% this season from deep, and while you would expect him to bounce back, it has to come from more than just him. They could potentially make a run at some of the better shooting free agents this offseason such as Tyus Jones, Malik Beasley, or Eric Gordon. It will also be intriguing to see how they approach the free agency of their own Markelle Fultz. He started 18 games for them last season and has rehabbed his career in Orlando, but they also have Cole Anthony, Anthony Black, and Jalen Suggs already on the roster and under contract, so it remains to be seen how strongly they push for his return. I would, however, expect them to push for the return of Goga Bitadze unless they believe they can sign one of the free agent bigs on the market such as Jalen Smith, Nic Claxton, or Jonas Valanciunas. With the 18th pick, they will have some options such as Illinois’ Terrence Shannon Jr., Ja’Kobe Walter of Baylor, and Tristan da Silva of Colorado.
