De’Andre Hunter wanted to be drafted by the Atlanta Hawks after the team traded Taurean Prince to the Brooklyn Nets on June 6.
According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, Hunter told his brother Aaron Hunter and skills trainer Sean Colson that the Hawks were a franchise he could see himself flourishing in. Hunter's agents, Thad Foucher and Joe Smith, then worked a way to make that happen — with Atlanta trading up to select Hunter.
The Hawks used the fourth pick to select Hunter, who was widely regarded as the best defensive player in college basketball last season.
De’Andre Hunter averaged 15.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists last season at Virginia while shooting 52.0 percent from the field, 43.8 percent from beyond the arc and 78.3 percent from the free-throw line.
The new Hawks forward led Virginia to the NCAA championship. Now, the 21-year-old will look to help Atlanta get back to the playoffs in 2019-20. He joins a promising young core headlined by last year's Rookie of the Year runner-up Trae Young, rising big man John Collins, sharpshooter Kevin Huerter and 2019 draft classmate Cam Reddish.
With the additions of players such as Jabari Parker, Evan Turner and Allen Crabbe, the Hawks figure to be one of the most exciting teams in the NBA in 2019-20.
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