Atlanta Hawks officially add 2018 first round pick from Minnesota Timberwolves

The Atlanta Hawks will officially have three picks in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft. On Wednesday evening, the Minnesota Timberwolves knocked off the Denver Nuggets in the team’s regular season finale and, as a result, Jimmy Butler, Karl-Anthony Towns and company are headed to the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade. From a Hawks perspective, that victory ensures that Minnesota will not in the lottery and, by proxy, the Wolves will send their pick to the Hawks.

This has been a story for the Hawks throughout the season (one that has been chronicled in our “Ping-Pong Chronicles” series) and the pick conveying will fulfill the obligations on Minnesota’s end in the aftermath of a trade involving Adreian Payne. Though the exact landing spot for the pick will not be determined until Friday, Atlanta will have its own pick (guaranteed to fall in the top seven), Minnesota’s pick near the middle of the first round and Houston’s pick at No. 30 overall.

Stay tuned for full NBA Draft coverage in the coming weeks but Minnesota’s victory provides Travis Schlenk and Atlanta’s front office with additional ammunition that could be quite useful between now and late June.