After much fanfare and buildup, the Atlanta Hawks finally made their selections in the 2018 NBA Draft, and the results were… not what we expected. Though the Hawks were in prime position to select one of the best prospects in recent memory in Slovenian wunderkind Luka Doncic, instead the team drafted Doncic then immediately traded his rights to the Mavericks (you’re welcome Cuban) for the rights to freshman phenom Trae Young. There is a lot to unpack with that decision, as well as the remaining 2 picks (that’s right 2, not 3 as expected) the Hawks made in the 2018 Draft. Read on and find our draft grades for each pick the Hawks made, as well as the overall grade for the Draft.<doc-sep>With the 2018 NBA Draft in the books, the Atlanta Hawks made some… interesting decisions to say the least. We’ve already provided plenty of rapid reactions, recaps of what happened as well as our draft grades, but below you’ll find the three worst decisions the Hawks made in the 2018 NBA Draft. Warning: The Hawks made three picks and traded away one pick. Only one of their picks does not qualify for this list (Kevin Huerter at 19) and we’re still not so sure there weren’t better options there as well. 3. The Trae Young Trade After much buildup and early indications that the Hawks would make the safe pick and select Luka Doncic 3rd overall, all of our hopes came crashing down as the team opted to trade back and take Trae Young at #5 overall. Though we’ve defended the idea of the Hawks taking Young in the past, when the other option is Luka Doncic (which we never thought was possible until the buildup to the draft), the Hawks had to make the easy pick of Doncic, as he was one of the most (if not the most) decorated, polished and winningest European prospects of all time. Instead, the Hawks – clearly led by a decision from GM Travis Schlenk – chose Trae Young. He certainly set the NCAA on fire in the early portion of the college season, but he tailed off after carrying his team offensively night-in and night-out. Guess what? He’ll have to do the same as a member of the Hawks, so we’ll have to see if the rigors of an 82-game NBA season affect him adversely going forward. Again, we feel that Trae Young will likely be a terrific player in the NBA, but the fact of the matter is the team whiffed on Luka Doncic, who has one of the highest floors in this draft, and if he lives up to his full potential, could be a transcendent player in the league for years to come. Sure, Trae Young could be too, but the safer bet was Doncic, making the trade down from 3 to 5 the Hawks third-worst decision of the night. 2. Picking Omari Spellman This was a head-scratching move, and one that prompted an F grade in our draft grades. Spellman does not fit well at all with Second Team All-Rookie member John Collins, and this was also seemingly a stretch to take him at #30 overall – especially since the Hawks had a pick coming four slots later. Well, they did until… 1. The Trade of the 34th Pick Here it is. This was the worst decision by the Hawks on draft night. While dumping Doncic for Trae Young was not perhaps not the wisest move in the long run, you can at least understand where Schlenk and co. were coming from. For this move – trading the #34 overall pick to the Hornets for two future second rounders – there is almost no good reason why it happened. All you can say is at least they didn’t sell the pick outright for straight-up cash considerations; that would’ve only added insult to injury. Though clearly the team is looking to accrue as many assets as possible (a la Philadelphia’s highly effective Process), tossing aside a very, very good second round pick in favor of two far, far worse picks in upcoming second rounds seems like a bonehead move no matter which way you slice it. It’s doubtful that the Hawks would’ve uncovered a superstar-level talent at #34, but there were still plenty of tremendous options on the board at #34 overall that had tumbled way down draft boards such as Khyri Thomas, Keita Bates-Diop, Bruce Brown, Justin Jackson and Mitchell Robinson. Why not take a chance on one of them? Only Travis Schlenk knows, but as it stands, the early returns on the 2018 NBA Draft for the Atlanta Hawks are not glowing. Time will tell, however, if these moves upend or extend what will continue to be an extensive Hawks rebuild.<doc-sep>While the Atlanta Hawks’ 2018 draft was as much anticipated as any in recent years, it certainly played out in an unexpected fashion. The haul of Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, Omari Spellman and a future first round pick from Dallas is an abundance for a single NBA team on a single draft night. Still, the decisions that resulted in that haul seems to have understandably left some feeling a bit (or a lot) underwhelmed given the draft assets the Hawks had at their disposal last night. Once the Hawks took Huerter with the No. 19 pick, it didn’t take long for the comparisons of Young and Huerter to Steph Curry and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors to rise in the conversation. Of course, the parallels are more about role and style of play than talent level. Between them, Curry and Thompson have made nine All-Star appearances, won two MVPs and are each three-time NBA champions with plenty of basketball still ahead of them. The Hawks would be thrilled to see any semblance of that type of success from Young and Huerter in the next five to ten years. The impetus of the comparisons certainly are driven, at least in part, by the fact that Hawks’ general manager Travis Schlenk’s tenure with the Warriors coincided with Golden State’s rise. Schlenk’s reputation as a talent evaluator, cultivated in Oakland, helped land him the job with the Hawks. The Hawks, and Schlenk, played supporting roles in last summer’s draft when they took John Collins with the No. 19 pick and Tyler Dorsey in the second round. But in last night’s draft, the Hawks and Schlenk were center stage. Less than 48 hours later, the reviews are mixed, as some are heralding the elite shooting potential of the players the Hawks added while citing the major question marks around the defensive profile of Young, Huerter and Spellman. Grades and reviews in the hours following a draft are both silly and fun. However, those of us who like to prognosticate and analyze even the tiniest details of the draft might be hesitant to admit that said analysis and grades will begin to fade as the NBA summer league rolls around and training camp leads up to the opening of the regular season. Still, at this point in time, I thought it would be interesting to look back at the draft grades and corresponding analysis associated with the Warriors’ selections of Curry and Thompson when they were selected nine and seven years ago, respectively. When the Warriors drafted Curry with the No. 7 pick in the 2009 draft, ESPN’s Chad Ford assigned the Warriors a grade of incomplete and cited that Curry could be a good back court pairing with Monta Ellis as “neither guy is a pure point guard.” The incomplete grade stemmed from a rumored potential trade of the Warriors sending a package of players, including Curry, to Phoenix for Amar’e Stoudemire. Of course, that trade never happened. Bleacher Report awarded the Warriors a grade of A. They asked the rhetorical question as to whether Curry would be too small to pair in the back court with Ellis in addition to the common conception that Curry “can’t play defense.” Bleacher Report answered that question with “That’s ok. Don Nelson really doesn’t care about that anyway.” The immediate conclusions of the Curry selection were pretty much a consensus that he would be an electric shooter but that he was a shooting guard stuck in a point guard’s body and he would struggle to handle defensive assignments. Though Young and Curry do not fit the same exact profile, as Young does profile a natural point guard, some of the questions that were attached to Curry apply to Young as he enters the league. Two years after selecting Curry, the Warriors drafted Thompson with the No. 11 pick in the 2011 draft. Bleacher Report graded this selection a C and cited that the Warriors had “a wealth of wings and guards and would have been better off reaching for a big.” Fox Sports didn’t grade the pick, but they did laud the pick but assessed that Thompson would “give the Warriors roughly the same things Kevin Martin gives the Houston Rockets.” Tom Ziller of SB Nation gave the Warriors a grade of D+. He noted that Thompson would add shooting but that, defensively, Curry and Thompson would be “an awful porous backcourt.” And, to put it plainly, the major questions about Curry and Thompson as a back court pairing were certainly not limited to Ziller’s opinion. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20 and none of this look back is intended to question the instant analysis provided by those we highlighted here. Rather, when instant reactions fuel doubt, it can be interesting, and even encouraging, to recall that many were wrong about players who have gone on to be elite players, especially when those players have some loose comparative association to players one’s favorite team selected on June 21. Only time will tell when it comes to truly evaluating Atlanta’s 2018 draft class but history can be an interesting guide, at least in the meantime.<doc-sep>Mike Stobe/Getty Images The 2018 NBA draft lived up to expectations in terms of drama and surprising selections. After the Phoenix Suns selected Deandre Ayton with the No. 1 overall pick, a few unexpected moves shifted the direction of the first round. The Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks executed the biggest move of Thursday's selection process at Barclays Center, as the Hawks selected Luka Doncic at No. 3 and traded him to the Mavericks in exchange for Trae Young, whom Dallas took at No. 5. Duke and Kentucky continued to pump out lottery talent; the Blue Devils produced the No. 2 and No. 7 picks, while John Calipari saw two of his former Wildcats go at No. 9 and No. 11. The biggest surprise of the night was Michael Porter Jr.'s drop outside of the top 10, as teams passed on the Missouri one-and-done star because of concerns about his back injury. Porter was drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the final pick in the lottery at No. 14. The other shock was delivered by the Philadelphia 76ers, who selected Mikal Bridges at No. 10 before trading him to Phoenix for Zhaire Smith and a 2021 first-round selection. While we won't know how each player translates to the NBA for a few years, we assigned grades based on how each prospect fits with his new employer. Video Play Button Videos you might like Full Results Grades Atlanta: B Boston: B+ Brooklyn: C- Charlotte: B- Chicago: A- Cleveland: B Dallas: A+ Denver: A+ Detroit: B- Golden State: B+ Houston: B Indiana: B Los Angeles Clippers: C Los Angeles Lakers: A- Memphis: B+ Miami: N/A Milwaukee: B- Minnesota: B- New Orleans: B- New York: B+ Oklahoma City: B Orlando: A+ Philadelphia: B+ Phoenix: A Portland: B Sacramento: A- San Antonio: B- Toronto: N/A Utah: B+ Washington: B Dallas Is Clear Winner of Trade with Atlanta Dallas fleeced Atlanta in the deal that sent Doncic to the Mavericks and Young to the Hawks. At points in the draft process, Doncic was considered the best player in the talent pool, and he could well be the biggest star of the group. The Mavericks have the perfect system in place for Doncic to succeed right away, as he will be working under head coach Rick Carlisle and learning from Dirk Nowitzki. Sonia Canada/Getty Images Carlisle already appears to have a wealth of confidence in Doncic, as he alluded to the Slovenian's play-making ability, per Damon R. Marx of the Dallas Morning News: Dallas also sent a protected 2019 first-round pick to the Hawks in the deal. The Mavericks could greatly improve next season, as they are going to have one of the most talented backcourts in the Western Conference for a long time with Doncic and Dennis Smith Jr. in the starting lineup. Dallas aren't a complete team just because Doncic is in the fold, but they took a step in the right direction by bringing in the Slovenian. When it comes to the Hawks, their direction isn't as clear, as Young joins a roster that already includes Dennis Schroder. Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk came from Golden State, and he's enamored with Young, who has drawn comparisons to Stephen Curry. Although Young is known for his shooting, Schlenk is in love with most aspects of his game, per Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Young could turn out to be a star in the NBA, but the Mavericks received a piece that could make them a contender for a playoff spot next season, while the Hawks still have holes to fill at other positions. Denver Gets a Steal in Porter The Nuggets won't finish ninth in the Western Conference for the third straight season. After careful consideration, the Nuggets took Porter with the final pick of the lottery despite growing concerns about the back injury that forced him out of most of his freshman season at Missouri. Mike Stobe/Getty Images Unlike the Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers in front of them, the Nuggets felt comfortable taking a risk on Porter as they try to get over the hump and qualify for the postseason. Porter rounds out a nice core in Denver that includes Nikola Jokic, Gary Harris and Jamal Murray that could land anywhere from fifth to eighth in the West if the team reaches its full potential. If he lives up to the hype created by his high school and AAU career, Porter could be an All-Star for decades. ESPN's Marc J. Spears went as far to say Porter could have a presence similar to Carmelo Anthony: The freshman out of Missouri could provide a similar impact that Donovan Mitchell had on the Utah Jazz in his rookie year. Although the two players carry different skill sets, Porter could give the Nuggets a boost and help them make the playoffs and become a scary team in the first round of the postseason against one of the established contenders in the West. Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.<doc-sep>
While a generally silly exercise, the practice of instantly “grading” the NBA Draft occurs each and every year and the 2018 edition was no different. The Atlanta Hawks executed something of a controversial move at the top of the board with a deal that sent the rights to Luka Doncic to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for the rights to Trae Young and a future first round pick, with selections of Maryland’s Kevin Huerter and Villanova’s Omari Spellman later in the process. To that end, we’ve gathered a small handful of reactions (knowing full well there are many more and they are as follows. Kyle Boone of CBS Sports declared the Hawks a “winner” in his post-draft column, saying the following about Atlanta’s performance. We won’t be able to truly declare whether the Hawks or the Mavericks won Thursday night’s trade, but for now it’s safe to say both come out winners. Instead of sticking with Luka Doncic at 3, the Hawks flipped him for Trae Young -- the player they had their eyes on all along. Young had a phenomenal workout with the team recently, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander. And as a sweetener to the deal, Atlanta also picked up a 2019 first-round pick from the Mavericks that will convey to them next June as long as it falls outside the top five, according to the New York Times’ Marc Stein. It is certainly accurate that it is impossible to fully judge what any team does on draft night until years after the fact and that is especially the case when a trade like the one between Atlanta and Dallas is involved. If Trae Young performs at or near the level of Luka Doncic in the future, the Hawks will look (very) smart for the value they were able to extract with the deal and, if not, the takes will continue to roll. From there, Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer handed out a “B” grade for the Trae Young trade and selection. The Hawks clearly valued Young more than almost any other team. They picked up an extra draft pick to move down two spots and get their guy, in a deal similar to the one the Celtics made last season for Jayson Tatum. Hawks GM Travis Schlenk came to Atlanta from Golden State, and he’s clearly hoping that Young can be his version of Steph Curry. This is now Young’s team. Dennis Schröder can start packing his bags. Though the Dennis Schroder experience continues in Atlanta (for now), the overarching theme here is that the Hawks did, in fact, value Young at a higher level than seemingly any team in the class. That could prove to be the right move, of course, but the comparison to the 2017 trade between the Celtics and Sixers is potentially apt from a value perspective, at least before accounting for the unrealistic expectations put forth by the tremendous rookie season of Jayson Tatum. Later, Tjarks gave another “B” to the Hawks for the investment in Huerter. Travis Schlenk is officially building a bootleg version of the Warriors. It’s not just a narrative. Trae Young is a poor man’s Steph Curry and Huerter is a poor man’s Klay Thompson. Huerter was a fast riser during the pre-draft process, and he may end up being much better in the NBA than in college, where he was handcuffed by Mark Turgeon’s conservative half-court offense. He doesn’t play enough defense to be the next Klay, but Schlenk has seen first-hand how two elite shooters can make each other better. Comparisons to the Warriors are just too easy at this point but the “bootleg version” is a new one. It is definitely important to note the defensive differences between Huerter and Klay Thompson but, from a roster construction standpoint, it is easy to see that Schlenk is prioritizing shooting and floor-spacing. Finally, Kevin Pelton of ESPN had a harsher grade for the transaction that brought Young to Atlanta, handing out a “D” based on an evaluation of Luka Doncic. There’s certainly a way to justify this trade from the Hawks’ perspective. If they weren’t sold on Doncic’s potential, picking up a future first-round pick and getting the player they really wanted is a much better move than simply picking Young at No. 3. After all, if we look at the average values of the two picks, this is surely a huge win for Atlanta. The typical difference between the value provided by the No.