With the 2025 NBA Draft officially on the horizon as the lottery teams separate themselves out from the contenders, it’s a good time to take a look at what the Hawks could potentially add in June to elevate themselves in the 2025-26 season.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo did a mock draft today and selected two players for the Hawks that would address big areas of need. With the 13th pick that the Hawks got from the Sacramento Kings, they have Atlanta selecting freshman SG/SF Liam McNeeley from UConn. Givony had this to say about McNeeley’s profile:

“McNeeley recently returned from a five-week absence because of an ankle injury and put together one of the most impressive performances we’ve seen at the college level –– a 38-point explosion in a win at Creighton on Tuesday. McNeeley had been up and down prior to his injury on a team lacking shot creation in a major way, which often asks him to do too much with the ball in his hands, exposing some of the athletic limitations that are noticeable on the defensive end. McNeeley’s size, shot-making prowess, feel for the game, and toughness are all important attributes that NBA teams value at the wing position, and he will look to remind them of his many winning qualities in an important upcoming month” – Givony

Woo had this to say about his fit on the Hawks:

“Sacramento’s pick is top-12 protected, placing it right on the cusp of conveying depending on how the Kings’ season finishes. Here it conveys to Atlanta (via the Kevin Huerter trade). Adding a tough, smart, versatile ball-mover such as McNeeley would be a good move as the Hawks build out tall perimeter lineups around Trae Young. His unselfish approach should help him slide into minutes and provide depth as he develops his individual scoring” – Woo

With the pick that the Hawks got from the Pelicans in the Dejounte Murray trade (an unprotected 2025 Lakers first-round pick), Givony and Woo selected sophomore PF/C Alex Condon from Florida using the 26th overall selection. Givony said this about Condon’s profile:

“Condon is playing an essential role for the No. 3-ranked Gators, as evidenced by his outstanding performance this past weekend, outplaying potential national player of the year candidate Johni Broome in a win at Auburn. The Australian big man acts as a significant playmaking hub in Florida’s offense with his excellent ballhandling and passing ability while covering ground fluidly defensively and making plays with his mobility and sharp basketball instincts. Still growing into his body in his fifth year of organized basketball, and with work to do on his perimeter shooting, another season at Florida could propel his standing into lottery territory next season, but his impactful two-way play is becoming increasingly hard for NBA scouts to look past” – Givony

Woo said this about Condon’s fit on the Hawks:

“Atlanta seems to have successfully reloaded its perimeter talent over the past few years, with versatile Jalen Johnson emerging as a standout, Dyson Daniels proving a major addition, and 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher settling in. Investing in a playmaking big such as Condon would be an interesting direction here, particularly with veteran Clint Capela headed for free agency. Condon’s passing ability and overall feel could help enhance lineups for the Hawks long-term, giving them a change of pace up front” – Woo

Given how both are playing right now, I think these would be good selections for the Hawks. McNeeley is only 19 years old and would not need to be an isolation scorer for Atlanta right away. He’s shooting 37.6% from deep this year on 5.3 attempts per game. He takes them at a good rate and given his 6’8 frame, that is a standout figure. He also shoots 85% from the charity stripe, so there’s some real potential for those numbers to translate. There’s a lot of praise for McNeeley’s game. Conneticut head coach Dan Hurley is very high on what he can bring at the next level, saying, “That guy’s gonna be a top-10 pick. He’s one of the best players in the country.” after a win over Creighton where the freshman dropped 38 points.

He’s an intriguing add alongside Zaccharie Risacher, giving the Hawks a very young trio of perimeter options in conjunction with Dyson Daniels. With this pick, he gives them a more offensively-tilted look and can even slot in as a backcourt partner for Trae Young. However, McNeeley isn’t a particularly impressive ball-handler yet and his quickness on defense leaves something to be desired. He is a good rebounder and fits well with an already-strong rebounding team in Atlanta. S

Condon has a good motor and has shown strides from last year as a passer. He’s got good instincts and has shown growth on the defensive end, averaging 2.2 stocks per game. Condon’s post game is very solid. The real questions in his game lie in how good of a shooter he will be and whether he can add strength to hold up against NBA competition on both ends of the floor. There’s a chance he could grow into a better starting center option than Okongwu, but it’s hard to project that at this stage. He just suffered an ankle injury against Mississippi State, so it remains to be seen how he recovers from that setback.

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