The Atlanta Hawks recently cleared the runway for Jalen Johnson.
By trading Trae Young to the Washington Wizards, the Hawks acknowledged that this is Johnson's team now.
Atlanta is already putting together a strong season, but there's additional reason for more optimism about the future, too.
During the 2025 NBA Draft, the Pelicans made a misguided trade to move up and get Derik Queen. As part of the deal, they sent the Hawks their 2026 first-round pick.
And right now, the Pelicans have the third-worst record in the league.
If that holds, Atlanta would have a chance to draft one of this season's freshman phenoms.
ESPN's Jeremy Woo writes that if the Hawks get the chance at No. 3, he believes they'll take Cameron Boozer, a Duke star to join another Blue Devil in Johnson.
"The Hawks moved on from Trae Young with the knowledge that they'll have a chance to add a star talent with this draft pick, as the Pelicans remain at the bottom of the Western Conference," Woo writes. "While Boozer's fit with Jalen Johnson might be imperfect, this would be a best-available decision."
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Woo has Darryn Peterson going first out of Kansas, followed by AJ Dybantsa second out of BYU, leaving Boozer to the Hawks.
That's considered the top-line trio in this draft, so if the Hawks ended up with any of them, that'd feel like a win.
Woo goes on to have the Hawks take Baylor guard Cameron Carr with their own pick, which would currently slot No. 21 overall.
"Carr continues to put together a breakout season and has established himself as an intriguing first-round swing, as an explosive athlete who continues to knock down perimeter shots at a good clip (40.3% from 3)," Woo writes. "There's still a degree of skepticism around his difficult shot selection, limited playmaking ability and inconsistent defense, and he'll continue to be tested with Baylor off to a tough start in a difficult Big 12. If he can keep it up, Carr will present an intriguing bet on tools and shooting, even if he is not as polished as the typical 21-year-old first-round prospect."
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