Rebuilding Atlanta has inside track on landing two of first nine picks in NBA draft

ATLANTA - No team has more riding on this week's NBA draft lottery than the Atlanta Hawks.

If the ping pong balls fall Atlanta's way, the Hawks could be the only team to end up with two of the top nine picks.

The last two drafts set the foundation for the Hawks' makeover, as John Collins and Trae Young have become the new faces of the franchise .

But more help is needed following 29 wins this season.

GM Travis Schlenk dares to dream of hitting the jackpot in the May 14 lottery and having the first and ninth picks in the June 20 draft. That best-case scenario would add significant momentum to an already promising rebuilding process.

"We like the position we're in," Schlenk said on Friday following a workout with draft hopefuls at the Hawks' practice facility.

"We all know right now we're sitting with the fifth odds and potentially the ninth odds, so it'd be real exciting. The best-case scenario would put us at one and nine."

Schlenk said building a strong base with young players will help the team attract top free agents.

"There's a buzz around the league about our young core," he said.

"Once we show that we're in contention and a playoff team, that's when free agents are going to look at this group and say 'I want to go there.'"

The draft spotlight is on Duke's Zion Williamson, the probable No 1 draft pick.

Schlenk smiled when asked about Williamson but said it'd be premature to talk about the powerful forward.

"We'll worry about that after the lottery," he said.

Then the GM couldn't resist.

"Obviously he was phenomenal in college," Schlenk said of Williamson. "Just his size and athleticism. All the stuff I've heard about him as a person is off the charts, too."

Schlenk took a huge gamble in last year's draft. He traded Luka Doncic, the No 3 selection, to Dallas for Young and a top-five protected draft pick.

That pick belongs to the Hawks this year unless Dallas, currently slotted ninth, moves into the top five. Otherwise, it shifts to Atlanta in 2020, again as a top-five protected pick.

The Hawks had three first-round picks last year. Shooting guard Kevin Huerter joined Young in the all-rookie backcourt. The third first-rounder, forward Omari Spellman, started 11 games.

Taurean Prince, who had a strong finish to his third season, also looks to be part of the long-term plans for Schlenk and coach Lloyd Pierce.

Pierce said after the season the Hawks established an "identity" in his first season.

"We compete and play hard. Our guys play for each other. They play with a lot of energy and a lot of passion and that was really the goal."

Now the coach wants this year's draft class to fall in line with Young, Collins and others.

"That's what I'm hoping whoever we get walks into," Pierce said. "I hope it's not chaos they're walking into. We have to start the process."

The Hawks have three second-round picks but may not have room for that many rookies next season.

Schlenk could also be looking to package picks in another trade.

It may be difficult for even a No 1 pick to top Young's impact on the team. The exciting point guard was a double-double machine with a flair for game-winning floaters and a Stephen Curry-like knack for towering 3-pointers.

Schlenk and Pierce already are happy with the Doncic-Young trade. But they know final judgment on the deal awaits the Hawks receiving the added first-round pick.

With a little lottery luck for Atlanta, the wait could end very soon.

Associated Press