article on Knight from Memphis Commercial Appeal

[CBAreject]

CHICAGO -- While several NBA teams are trying to unload draft picks, the Atlanta Hawks are taking a different approach.

They want to load up on potential, and are looking to acquire more first-round selections. The Hawks also are one of few teams with plenty of money to spend under the salary cap.

General manager Billy Knight hasn't let the money burn his pocket, though. His preference is to build through the draft, having passed on overbidding for Erick Dampier, Kenyon Martin and Grizzlies forward Stromile Swift last summer.

There will come a time when Atlanta must overpay to acquire top-notch free-agent talent. For now, though, the Hawks are counting on the luck of the draw.

Atlanta owns the second overall pick and will base its selection on whomever the Milwaukee Bucks take with No. 1 overall pick.

If the Bucks select Utah 7-footer Andrew Bogut, then the Hawks will select North Carolina's Marvin Williams.

Should Williams go first, then Bogut must pack his bags for Atlanta.

[TheDude]

more i say...i need more...these days i salivate at such news. i can't wait for the draft.

[CBAreject]

Yeah, I know. What picks are we trying to trade for? It sounds like some of us will get our wish of having multiple picks. Sounds promising.

I would be thrilled with another lottery pick and/or a low teens pick.

If we had 4 picks (say 2/13/19/31) and got Bogut/Williams, Felton/Jack, Diogu/Simien, Stoudamire/Garcia at those positions, I think that would be a dream draft. All that's not very likely, but those are all players I want to see here.

[TheDude]

agreed cba, we would ccome out champs there.

[Nicholasp27]

it's definitely possible...

we take bogut/marvin with #2

we buy #19 from memphis

we keep #31

we trade al to get a high pick for felton/ukic/jack or trade boston future (and maybe diaw) to get a teens pick for ukic/jack...

bogut(marvin)/ukic(jack)/digou(simien/rmorris)/salim(garcia/louis)

and bring over andersen

[Packfill]

As great a draft as that may be, it would likely leave the Hawks completely devoid of veteran talent and leadership. I don't think that is a good idea.

[Nicholasp27]

well if u insist on keeping al so we can pay him 10mil/year and then not be able to resign either smoove/chill or bogut, then fine...

we trade boston pick + diaw for a 15ish pick to get ukic and we keep al

we still do his draft of bogut/ukic/digou/salim

and we still have delk/al/willis

not to mention, even if we trade al, we'll have to get someone back in return...most likely a vet...

AND...u go to the draft to get young players...u can get vets in FAcy..they are a dime a dozen

if we can get 4 good young players in the draft, then we can go ONLY after vets in FAcy

we would have 4 + smoove/chill/donta/ivey/diaw = 9 young players and then the other 4-6 could be vets...

u don't pass up on talent because u wanna fill some quota...we aren't competing next year anyway...we have 2 summers at least to grab some good veteran talent that compliments our young guys