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In advance of the 2016 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks have been linked to numerous prospects when discussing the number 21 overall pick. That makes a great deal of sense given that so much will happen before the Hawks come on the clock, but a report surfaced on Monday morning indicating that two players previously thought to be out of Atlanta's range could be slipping.
Did a mock draft at the team hotel with some NBA scouts. A surprising number of players this year have medical issues.
— NBADraft.net (@nbadraftnet) June 13, 2016
Two of the main ones mentioned that could slip some are Denzel Valentine (knees) and Tyler Ulis (hips) https://t.co/IgrNqPRBHJ
— NBADraft.net (@nbadraftnet) June 13, 2016
Kentucky point guard Tyler Ulis and Michigan State swingman Denzel Valentine are both projected as mid-first round selections when taking the consensus into account, but each has been in the conversation for the Hawks. Ulis was recently mocked to Atlanta under the pretense that Jeff Teague could be moving on, and while there are real concerns about his lack of size (5-foot-10, 150 pounds), his talent and overall savvy could be more than useful in a backup role.
As for Valentine, there is some buzz that he could fall into the lap of the Hawks, and that would be a surprise. Because of his status as an NCAA Player of the Year (alongside Buddy Hield), Valentine is a household name in basketball circles, but he also did wonders for his draft stock in 2015-2016, and only the aforementioned injury concerns could allow him to drop to this extent. Still, at least one mock has this as a possibility, and it should be on the radar to some degree.
The 2016 NBA Draft is ten days away, and the information pipeline appears to be heating up in grand fashion. Stay tuned.
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