Atlanta Hawks linked to Terrance Ferguson in latest ESPN mock draft

The 2017 NCAA Tournament is over and, unless you are a fan of the North Carolina Tar Heels, things didn’t end the way that you wanted them to end. With that said, the end of the college basketball season means that MOCK DRAFT SEASON is upon us and Chad Ford of ESPN weighed in with his Version 4.0 on Tuesday.

With Ford projecting the Atlanta Hawks to finish with the No. 16 overall pick, Terrance Ferguson was the choice and Ford explained his reasoning in this fashion.

Ferguson is one of the few elite shooters in this draft.

His numbers didn't always show that in Australia, but given the dearth of guys who can let it fly -- and the Hawks' needs in this area with Kyle Korver gone -- he should be a strong fit in time.

Ferguson went from high school to Australia to play for the Adelaide 36ers and his brief, 30-game stint abroad did not go particularly well. That is, of course, what Ford is referencing when he talks about Ferguson not showing his shooting proficiency and the 19-year-old wing struggled to the tune of a 22.3 percent clip from long distance.

However, the former Arizona commit has the profile of a knock-down shooter that also happens to be an explosive athlete at 6’7 with a 6’10 wingspan. It would be fair to question the logic behind the Hawks drafting another wing after picking up both Taurean Prince and DeAndre Bembry in 2016 but, with the uncertainty surrounding Tim Hardaway Jr. and the profiles of the two current rookies, Ferguson’s offensive skill set might be a snug fit in Atlanta.

As always, it is far too early to get emotionally attached to specific prospects and the NBA Draft order isn’t set at this point. Still, Terrance Ferguson would be a high-upside player that could look good in an Atlanta Hawks uniform in the future.

What do you think about this potential NBA Draft marriage?