NBA Rumors: Hawks Fail To Move Up, May Target Deal With Pelicans For Fourth Pick

The New York Knicks seem bent on keeping their third overall pick for the 2019 NBA Draft although that doesn’t mean they are closing the doors on potential deals. The last team that tried to pull off something with the Gotham City squad are the Atlanta Hawks although the offer was thumbed down.

According to ESPN, the Hawks had offered their 8th and 10th pick for the 2019 NBA Draft for the Knicks 3rd overall pick. Atlanta was believed to be trying to move up the draft order but it looks like they will have to do better if they are bent on making it to at least the top five. If not the Knicks, the Hawks could be better off trying to deal with the New Orleans Pelicans but for the fourth pick. However, other teams are also interested to deal with the Pelicans such as the Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves and the Chicago Bulls.

With the Knicks standing firm on the third overall pick selection, it looks like New York will likely pick R.J. Barrett. That is unless a sudden twist of events happens at the 2019 NBA Draft set to take place on June 10. As far as the fourth overall pick is concerned, it could be anyone among Darius Garland, Jarrett Culver, De’Andre Hunter or Cam Reddish. If the Pelicans were to select, Reuters suggests that their best bet would be on Culver, the shooting guard out of Texas Tech.

As to why the Hawks are aiming to move up in the 2019 NBA Draft remains unknown although the obvious is that they are looking to add a young guard to the roster. Should they fail to move up, the mock draft from Reuters sees them possibly picking Jaxson Hayes and Tyler Herro if both are still available by draft night. Hayes is likened to a younger version of Marcus Camby although he needs to work on his physique. Herro, on the other hand, is a shooting guard out of Kentucky who could blend in well with Trae Young in the backcourt.

Offering two draft picks for one could be because general manager Travis Schlenk said that they are not keen on adding a lot of rookies to the team for next season, the Athletic reported. That could be the prime reason behind the Knicks offer, although they can try again with the Pelicans or maybe even the Cavs possibly with more assets included.