Top prospects opt out of Atlanta Hawks workouts

The Atlanta Hawks struck gold by moving up nine spots to win the 2024 NBA Draft lottery. But unlike last year, where everyone knew Victor Wembanyama was going to be the No. 1 overall pick, there is no consensus among this year’s talent pool.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the Hawks and several other teams still can’t sign an All-NBA talent; it simply means that each organization will need to be even more diligent in their preliminary assessments in order to uncover top talent.

Related: 5 Top Targets for the Atlanta Hawks After Winning the NBA Draft Lottery

However, according to The Ringer’s NBA Draft insider Kevin O’Connor, the Hawks are having trouble attracting top prospects to head to Atlanta before the June 26 draft. O’Connor predicted the Hawks would take Zacharie Risacher first overall, but he admits the selection is far from locked in, for several reasons.

“Risacher seems like the most likely choice at this point for the Hawks; he’s a theoretical 3-and-D wing who can adapt whether they keep Trae Young or not. I’m not as high on Risacher as the others, due to his lack of a proven jump shot and lack of shot creation skills. But there is no doubt he can defend. However, I don’t think this choice is a lock: League sources say the Hawks haven’t been able to bring top prospects to Atlanta to train so far.. That’s expected to change as the draft nears, and spending some hands-on time with these guys would certainly help clarify the front office’s big decision, whether it’s keeping the pick, trading or to change. completely.

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor on the Atlanta Hawks’ draft woes

As he mentioned, even though the Hawks haven’t been able to get any top prospects to visit so far, it’s not too late. With just over 21 days until the draft begins, the Hawks have plenty of time to come face-to-face with Risacher and other players who could hear their name called first.

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