As they prepare for the 2023 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks have been holding pre-draft workouts for a month now, with the bulk of the attention seeming to focus on the selections they can make with their second round pick (No. 49 overall).
While this could point to the Hawks having interest in trading their first round pick (No. 15 overall), there are a couple of draft prospects that Atlanta has shown interest in who are projected to go in the middle of the first round.
Curiously, two players are perimeter pieces, which could lead to the Hawks staggering the minutes of star guards Trae Young and Dejounte Murray a bit more next season. Or a route even more dramatic, such as a trade that splits up the backcourt. Atlanta also saw fit to bring in a notable forward prospect, one who could stabilize an ever-shifting and inconsistent frontcourt rotation.
Here are the three sneaky prospects that the Hawks could select with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
3 sneaky players Hawks can select with No. 15 pick
Kris Murray
Iowa forward Kris Murray is the twin brother of Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray, with the latter ending his 2022-23 rookie campaign ranking 15th in the league in 3-pointers on his way to a first-team All-Rookie selection. This point is important because, while Kris isn't quite the athlete or quite as sharp as his brother, the two have very similar skillsets.
Frankly, Kris might have been better off declaring when his brother did, as he was able to demonstrate prowess as a go-to scorer in 2022-23 but unable to replicate the efficiency from the prior season.
Averaging 20.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steal per game, Murray helped lead the Hawkeyes to their third straight NCAA Tournament berth.
Doing most of his damage inside the paint and a bit more outside of the arc, his dynamic scoring ability could come in handy for an Atlanta Hawks team that could use a bit more versatility in their offensive attack, particularly among their big men.
Defensively, Murray is capable of guarding multiple positions, even having better lateral movement than starting power forward John Collins. All that is to say that Murray would arguably have the most dynamic blend of skills of any of their frontcourt players and gives the Hawks a prospect that can potentially replace Collins if Atlanta does end up trading him at some point.
The Hawks notably hosted Murray for a pre-draft workout on Jun. 3, so they clearly have interest in the Iowa standout.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper
Another 2023 prospect that the Atlanta Hawks brought in for a pre-draft workout, and on the same day, was Marquette wing Olivier-Maxence Prosper.
An incredibly impactful and versatile defender that averaged 12.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game last season on 51.2 percent shooting from the field and 33.9 percent from 3.
The bulk of his money may be made because of his prowess on the defensive end, thanks to a blend of mobility, strength, anticipation and positional versatility that could lead to All-Defensive selections at the next level. Prosper also makes a noticeable impact offensively too though, using his mobility to be a threat in transition, as a cutter and in the dunker spot as well.
Shooting 33.6 percent on catch-and-shoot threes last season, Prosper could be regarded as a 3-and-D prospect. To that point, his in-between game needs plenty of work if he wants to be a more complete scorer and screens might be his best friend on drives.
Yet, for a Hawks team that could use at least one more reliable perimeter defender, his weaknesses matter far less than his strengths.
Maxwell Lewis
Pepperdine wing Maxwell Lewis is arguably the antithesis of Marquette wing Olivier-Maxence Prosper, as the former is a bona fide scorer but often a defensive liability.
Averaging 17.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in his second and final season with the Waves, Lewis shot 46.8 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from 3 on a heavy diet of jumpers. More efficient from 3 in his freshman season (36.6 percent) despite taking about the same number of attempts, Lewis is another imperfect but promising prospect the Atlanta Hawks could select with the 15th pick.
Shooting 43.1 percent on catch-and-shoot attempts in the 2022-23 season, Lewis is the type of prospect that undoubtedly fits Hawks head coach Quin Snyder's offensive approach. With the ball-handling skills, craftiness and touch necessary to score in isolation, and able to use his size at 6-foot-7 to score on post-ups, Lewis' ability to score effectively from all three levels gives him a terrific chance of making an early impact for Atlanta.
Defensively, Lewis is a capable but inconsistent defender, and that will certainly need to improve. Nonetheless, with Snyder's tutelage, the Las Vegas native could be just as good as a lottery pick for the Hawks.
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