Where the Peaches Grow
Atlanta Hawks Basketball
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MAR 15, 2026
Pelican Watch: Don't Look Now, But The Hawks Are Eyeing A Top-5 Pick
With March Madness approaching the college ranks, it's time to look at some of the prospects that could land in Atlanta via their ownership of New Orleans first-round pick.
Pelican Watch: Don't Look Now, But The Hawks Are Eyeing A Top-5 Pick
With March Madness approaching the college ranks, it's time to look at some of the prospects that could land in Atlanta via their ownership of New Orleans first-round pick.
Atlanta finds themselves in a very advantageous position heading into this year's draft, holding the New Orleans Pelicans' 1st round pick, which is projected to land in the top five at the moment.
It's a crucial piece to the puzzle of the Atlanta Hawks, who are trying to become a contender in the East after a potential playoff berth. Although the Hawks don't own their own first, they have secured the Cleveland Cavaliers' first-round selection, a team which has already clinched a playoff spot. With two picks in hand, especially one being potential top-five, this sets the stage for the Hawks to make a significant play in the draft.
The Hawks have a prime opportunity to bring in transformative talent that could help reshape their roster. Whether they use picks as trade assets or not is a question of its own, but for now, who are the top prospects that could make a real impact? Let's delve into the names that are generating buzz and consider how they fit into the Hawks' vision for the future.
1. Jaden Love, Duke — Big
Shades of: Jaren Jackson Jr./Evan Mobley/Myles Turner
Love is currently the top ranked prospect as a 6'11" big who projects to play either the forward or center position and can anchor a team's defense, as well as score from the post and excel as a pick-and-pop option. He's about as much of a sure thing as there is.
Hawks fit: With Onyeka Okongwu already in place, the front office may need to make a decision on who they'd rather have since both players have a similar style. Unless the Hawks plan to shift Jalen Johnson down to the SF position and run Love and Okongwu together... now that could make things interesting.
2. Zach Jones Jr., LSU — Guard
Shades of: Jordan Poole/CJ McCollum/Donovan Mitchell
Jones Jr. is a generous 6'4" combo guard/wing who can get buckets in an instant. He profiles as more of a shooter than anything else and will need to work on his ability getting to the rim and finishing, but he's a Day-1 plug-and-play guy.
Hawks fit: Jones Jr. also reminds us of a few current Hawk players, namely CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Buddy Hield, and Corey Kispert. Even if Atlanta sheds McCollum's contract this offseason, is there room for another guard like this on the roster?
3. Dakari Kemp, Indiana — Wing
Shades of: Paul George/Harrison Barnes/Kelly Oubre Jr./Andrew Wiggins
Kemp, a 6'9" wing/forward native Canadian, is an intriguing prospect because he fits the prototypical wing build that can carry teams through April into May and June. He's still a bit raw as a prospect, but should immediately be able to contribute as a three-and-D' guy as a key rotational player.
Hawks fit: Kemp could fill a void on the wing in Atlanta due to his combination of size, athleticism, and shooting ability. He's a better shooter than Zaccharie Risacher, bigger (also a better shooter) than Jonathan Kuminga, and more athletic than Jalen Johnson. Kemp to the Hawks could definitely make sense.
4. Austin Honeycutt, North Carolina — Forward
Shades of: Pascal Siakam/Scottie Barnes/Scottie Pippen/Draymond Green
Honeycutt is a 6'8" point-forward who excels at running the offense, but can also hit jumpers at a decent clip. He's a pretty well-rounded player with a good mix of skill, athleticism, and IQ, but doesn't seem to show that killer instinct very often. He typically makes the right play, but also doesn't mind taking a backseat, which could be frustrating at times.
Hawks fit: Honeycutt reminds us a bit of another guy who went to school in the same state and is currently on the roster, Jalen Johnson. Honeycutt to Atlanta makes sense as an upside move, or maybe to even have Johnson's backup fill the void when he's on the bench for rest.
5. Errick Catchings, Syracuse — Guard
Shades of: Darius Garland/Jamal Crawford/Terry Rozier
Catchings is a 6'3" shoot-first, playmaking point guard who projects as a longtime starter in the league and a potential all-star. He has great size and offensive ability. He's a bit of a question mark on defense, but the tools are there. He's also great at setting up his teammates which makes him very enjoyable to play alongside.
Hawks fit: Catchings is much more of a prototypical point guard than other player currently on the roster. He'd be a great fit and definitely fills the void that losing Trae Young left.
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