Atlanta Hawks secure No. 6 pick in 2020 NBA Draft

The 2020 NBA Draft Lottery (finally) arrived on Thursday evening and, for the Atlanta Hawks, the event marked a return to basketball-related activity for the first time in months. The Hawks entered the night with the fourth-best odds to secure the No. 1 pick but, in the end, Atlanta landed the No. 6 overall pick.

Heading into the process, the No. 6 slot was the most likely single placement for the Hawks, though Atlanta had only a 25.74 percent chance to fall to No. 6 specifically. In addition, Atlanta had a 55.32 percent chance to land in the top five and, in short, this was not a lucky result for the franchise.

In the coming days, there will be plenty of fallout and discussion on the next steps. If nothing else, this result likely takes the Hawks out of the running for players like LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards, barring draft night trades or unexpected falls on the draft board.

With eight weeks until the 2020 NBA Draft is currently scheduled to occur on Friday, Oct. 16, the Hawks will have plenty of time to weigh their options. After the events of Thursday evening, however, Atlanta knows when it will be picking and that reality now instructs every bit of first-round planning for the franchise.

Stay tuned.