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The Atlanta Hawks probably won't have the opportunity to draft California forward Jaylen Brown, but the former Wheeler High School star reportedly sat down for an interview with the team this week.
Told that Cal forward Jaylen Brown was another player Hawks interviewed at Scouting Combine.
— Chris Vivlamore (@CVivlamoreAJC) May 13, 2016
This is noteworthy for a number of reasons, but Atlanta's apparent interest will generate speculation about whether the Hawks could look to move up in the draft. Obviously, it was (way) too early to talk about specifics here, but it would take a significant offer for Mike Budenholzer and company to jump the dozen-or-so picks needed to even target Brown, and the projected top-10 pick would look quite nice in a volt green uniform down the line.
In addition to Brown, the Hawks have been linked to several players already at the combine, including Washington's Marquese Chriss.
One player the Hawks met with at Draft Combine was Washington forward Marquese Chriss.
— Chris Vivlamore (@CVivlamoreAJC) May 12, 2016
Chris is lesser known than Brown on a national scale, but the 18-year-old forward is a fast-rising prospect in this class, to the point where he is ranked at number 12 overall by DraftExpress. Again, this is a player that probably won't be available if the Hawks stay put with the 21st pick, but both Chriss and Brown are uber-athletic forwards, which could signal something of a pattern for this draft class.
Lastly, there is a report from Nathan Baird of the Lafayette Journal & Courier that suggests the Hawks will soon be putting Purdue forward Caleb Swanigan through a workout. Again, Swanigan is a rangy forward with high upside, but unlike Criss and (especially) Brown, the former Boilermakers standout is actually a player that has been rumored to land in the range in which Atlanta actually picks right now.
There will be plenty of workouts and interviews to dissect in the coming days, but they are beginning to leak out in full force.