NBA Draft 2016: Atlanta Hawks could have interest in Malik Beasley with No. 12 pick, per report

The Atlanta Hawks doubled their first-round NBA Draft ammunition on Wednesday in sending Jeff Teague to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for the number 12 pick, and there are already rumblings of what Mike Budenholzer and Wes Wilcox may elect to do with that additional asset. Late on Wednesday night, a report surfaced that the Hawks could have interest in former Florida State shooting guard Malik Beasley.

Though the Hawks have been linked to Beasley in the past, investing a lottery pick in his services would be an entirely different story. The 6-foot-5 Beasley does grade out as a top-25 prospect according to both ESPN and DraftExpress at this stage, but as noted above, Atlanta could be the team with the highest pick that has shown real interest.

Beasley does bring both talent and a local connection (playing high school basketball at St. Francis in Atlanta) to the table, but he does lack in versatility. At 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-7 wingspan, Beasley is exclusively a shooting guard on both ends of the floor, limiting his upside, especially on the defensive end.

Still, this is a very talented scorer with real athleticism and a nice shooting stroke, and that combination could be quite appealing to the Hawks. Malik Beasley landing in Atlanta with the number 21 pick would seem more appropriate than reaching for him in the late lottery, but with two first round picks on board, the possibilities appear to be endless.

Stay tuned.