The Atlanta Hawks plan on keeping the No. 1 overall draft pick, general manager Landry Fields said Monday.
Fields told reporters that the further the Hawks’ front office goes into its draft preparation, the more the club wants to remain in the top spot.
“I think we’re really excited by the draft,” Fields said. “And the more that we uncover, like, we go, ‘Great, I’m glad we have No. 1. I keep joking around like, ‘I’m not giving it back.’ So, I think we’re in a really good position here. I’m excited about it, frankly.”
The Hawks won the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft despite having just a 3 percent chance in the draft lottery. They finished 36-46 in 2023-24 regular season and had the 10th-best lottery odds.
Fields, himself a former NBA player, said the Hawks’ draft board is narrowing down and “shaping up, tiering itself out.” Their options at No. 1 include French prospects Alexandre Sarr, a center, and Zaccharie Risacher, a wing, along with two former UConn players, center Donovan Clingan and guard Stephon Castle.
Atlanta has decisions to make after a disappointing season. Trae Young figures to remain the team’s centerpiece, while fellow guard Dejounte Murray has been the subject of trade rumors since before in-season trade deadline in February.
Fields said he has been busy as other teams call Atlanta’s front office.
“I got a little time off (Sunday) because it was Father’s Day,” Fields said. “But for the most part, (the phone) continuously rings and we make outgoing calls as well just to see what the rest of the landscape is looking like.”
