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When the New Orleans Pelicans traded up for the Atlanta Hawks' No. 13 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, nobody could believe what had just occurred. Upon receiving the offer, even the Hawks reportedly did not believe the deal.
After fielding the phone call, Atlanta could not believe its “good fortune,” according to Pelicans reporter Shamit Dua. The front office reportedly had to double-check with New Orleans' Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, Joe Dumars, before sending it through.
“Suffice to say — the league was stunned, and so was Atlanta,” Dua wrote. “The Hawks could not believe their good fortune. While the Pelicans would spend the next 24 hours facing enormous backlash for their reckless decision-making, Hawks executives weren't shy about sharing the details behind the deal's lopsided structure with rival teams… It got to the point where Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh called Joe Dumars directly to confirm for himself. The Hawks waited nervously for Dumars to confirm, hoping he would not realize what was going on and walk the trade back. But the Pelicans persisted, and the Hawks got their steal.”
The deal involved Atlanta sending the No. 13 pick to New Orleans in exchange for the No. 23 pick and a 2026 first-rounder. The Pelicans used their second lottery pick on Maryland center Derik Queen, while the Hawks settled on Georgia forward Asa Newell.
The highly criticized deal fell on Dumars' shoulders. The recently-hired executive just used the No. 7 pick on guard Jeremiah Fears before trading up for a player in Queen, whom many saw as a mid-to-late first-round prospect.
Hawks' NBA Draft trades
The trade capped off an eventful week for Atlanta. The Hawks notably acquired center Kristaps Porzingis from the Boston Celtics the week before the draft. The deal only cost them their original No. 22 pick — which turned out to be guard Drake Powell — guard Terance Mann and forward Georges Niang.
Since the draft, Atlanta has kept busy in free agency. They have since come to terms with free agents Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dorian Finney-Smith and Luke Kennard. The Hawks lost center Clint Capela, who signed with the Houston Rockets, but functionally replaced him with the more versatile Porzingis.
Given their moves, it is difficult to see Atlanta's offseason as anything other than a massive success. Assuming Jalen Johnson returns to full strength, the Hawks have a strong chance of returning to the top of the Eastern Conference in 2025-2026.
