Preseason NBA Power Rankings: Philadelphia 76ers look like Eastern Elite

29. Atlanta Hawks

While the Orlando Magic may be the worst team in the league on paper, the Atlanta Hawks could certainly give them a serious run for their money.

After petering out under 2015 NBA Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer, the Hawks are officially in rebuilding mode, trading away their best player, Dennis Schroder, as part of the Carmelo Anthony three-team buyout deal (that also included the 76ers), and officially hiring former Philly assistant coach Lloyd Pierce to help jump-start their own version of ‘The Process’.

But Pierce isn’t the only familiar face on the Hawks roster.

As of right now, the Hawks have two former Sixers on their roster in recently acquired wing Justin Anderson and swing guard Alex Poythress (two-way contract), as well as two former Philly college standouts in Villanova big man Omari Spellman, and St. Joe’s wing DeAndre’ Bembry.

But for fans in the ATL, their future will essentially live or die by the fifth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft Trae Young.

After selecting Luka Doncic third overall, the Hawks made an incredibly surprising move to swap the European MVP, and in my opinion, the best player in the draft, to the Dallas Mavericks for Young’s draft rights and a future first-round pick.

Hoping that they’d found the next Steph Curry, a task that’s easier said than done, the 2018-2019 NBA season will go along way in determining whether or not the team made a wise swap, or if they handed Dallas a franchise-level talent for a future first.