Leading up to the 2023 NBA Draft, we will update our Atlanta Hawks Mock Draft Roundup showing picks for the Atlanta Hawks from several prominent sites and draft analysts.
The following are picks in recent mock drafts for the Hawks:
The Rookie Wire — Cody Taylor (5/19)
15. Kobe Bufkin, Michigan
Bufkin has been among the biggest risers throughout the college season and is widely expected to be selected in this range. He excelled in running the offense at Michigan and has the ability to stretch the floor with his smooth lefty stroke. His addition would give the Hawks some more depth in the backcourt.
CBS Sports — Gary Parrish (5/17)
15. Brice Sensabaugh, Ohio State
Sensabaugh, like Hendricks, was a sub-80 prospect in the Class of 2022 who was surprisingly great in his one year at Ohio State. If he improves as a perimeter defender, the 6-6 wing could develop into the type of 3-and-D player everybody wants in the modern NBA.
Sporting News — Kyle Irving (5/17)
15. Jett Howard, Michigan
The Hawks could use some perimeter shooting on the wing around playmakers like Trae Young and Dejounte Murray and Howard fits that bill.
The son of NBA champion Juwan Howard, Jett is a 6-foot-8 scoring wing and looks the part of an NBA player with great size and length for a sharpshooter. He has a quick, high, smooth release and excels at knocking down 3s off of the catch or running off of screens and handoffs. The team that selects Howard will need to get him to buy in on the defensive end to be a two-way player.
The son of NBA champion Juwan Howard, Jett is a 6-foot-8 scoring wing and looks the part of an NBA player with great size and length for a sharpshooter. He has a quick, high, smooth release and excels at knocking down 3s off of the catch or running off of screens and handoffs. The team that selects Howard will need to get him to buy in on the defensive end to be a two-way player.
The Athletic — Sam Vecenie (5/16)
15. Nick Smith Jr., Arkansas
The Scout: Smith's tape this year was not particularly impressive. But there is context behind that, as he dealt with a knee injury early in the season and was surrounded by a roster of non-shooters who stopped him from being able to attack the rim. Still, Smith shot just 37 percent from the field, 33 percent from 3 and put out some exceedingly poor defensive tape that actually resulted in him getting benched at times in the NCAA Tournament. Smith was a top-three recruit in the class last season and has real off-ball scoring creativity. His range is a bit wide. But I'm willing to bet that last season is a bit more of an aberration than people think.
The Fit: The Hawks took fewer 3s than anyone in the NBA this season on a per-shot basis and put very little pressure on the rim. Despite this, they were still a top-10 offense because Trae Young is that good of a creative force. With Bogdan Bogdanović's injury history seeing him generally miss about 20 games per season and Dejounte Murray's contract running out at the end of next season, it might make sense for them to look toward the combo guard market in this class, which is quite diverse in terms of skill set. But really, the Hawks can just take whoever they see as the best player available.
The Fit: The Hawks took fewer 3s than anyone in the NBA this season on a per-shot basis and put very little pressure on the rim. Despite this, they were still a top-10 offense because Trae Young is that good of a creative force. With Bogdan Bogdanović's injury history seeing him generally miss about 20 games per season and Dejounte Murray's contract running out at the end of next season, it might make sense for them to look toward the combo guard market in this class, which is quite diverse in terms of skill set. But really, the Hawks can just take whoever they see as the best player available.
Yahoo! Sports — Krysten Peek (5/16)
15. Cason Wallace, Kentucky
The Hawks could be looking to move Trae Young and this could open up the possibility of drafting a primary ball-handler this year. Wallace is the best on-ball defender in this draft class, but playing in Kentucky's system gave scouts little insight to the depth of his offensive game. He can easily guard both backcourt positions at the NBA level and the added pressure on guards could turn to easy offense and disrupt the flow of the opposing team. His size and high overall basketball IQ will make it hard for teams to pass on him in the late lottery to mid-first round.
Bleacher Report — Jonathan Wasserman (5/16)
15. Kobe Bufkin, Michigan
With pressure on Atlanta to start advancing in the playoffs, the Hawks could show interest in moving No. 15 for a veteran presence. Bufkin should be in play for anyone at No. 15, as he's showcased the type of combo-guard versatility, two-way playmaking, finishing and enough shooting promise to create, score off the ball and defend both backcourt spots.
SB Nation — Ricky O'Donnell (5/16)
15. Jett Howard, Michigan
Howard is a big wing with impressive shooting ability who can still create his own shot despite underwhelming athleticism. At 6'8, 215 pounds, Howard is a volume three-point shooter who can knockdown spot-ups and offer some movement shooting ability. He made 36.8 percent of his threes on 212 attempts this season. Howard also has an advanced handle for someone his size and can shake defenders one-on-one to get into his pull-up. While he's not super fast or a great leaper, he is a good finisher when he can get to the rim, The biggest questions will be on the defensive end, but Howard's size allows him to hold up a bit inside. He feels like a safe bet as an off-ball shooter, and just might turn into a better on-ball creator than most realize.
CBS Sports — Kyle Boone (5/16)
15. Jalen Hood-Schifino, Indiana
NBA teams are always on the hunt for combo guard/creators like Hood-Schifino, and he flashed enough on both ends at Indiana to push for a potential lottery spot in this year's draft. Great frame, really good defensively, and knows how to attack and make plays off the bounce. His shot needs to become more developmentally consistent but the tools here are undeniable.
For the Win — Bryan Kalbrosky (5/16)
15. Leonard Miller, G League Ignite
Although he was a bit overshadowed by his star teammate Scoot Henderson on the G League Ignite, Leonard Miller showed excellent developments during his first professional season.
He is tough to stop as the ball handler in transition and averaged 20.7 points and 12.9 rebounds with 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game during his 11 games in the G League after the All-Star break.
Miller is a great ball mover who finished with the highest rate of passes (4.3 percent) that led to an assist (also known as a secondary assist or a hockey assist) among all projected first-round draft picks, per AI-Powered statistics provided by Stats Perform.
After testing the waters during the 2022 NBA Draft, he should continue to rise during the pre-draft process.
He is tough to stop as the ball handler in transition and averaged 20.7 points and 12.9 rebounds with 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game during his 11 games in the G League after the All-Star break.
Miller is a great ball mover who finished with the highest rate of passes (4.3 percent) that led to an assist (also known as a secondary assist or a hockey assist) among all projected first-round draft picks, per AI-Powered statistics provided by Stats Perform.
After testing the waters during the 2022 NBA Draft, he should continue to rise during the pre-draft process.
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