A new prospect is emerging as the favorite to go No. 1 to Hawks

With a little over a week until the NBA Draft, the rumor mill is flooding in regards to the Hawks’ No. 1 pick.

Most recently, reports surfaced that Atlanta has worked out several prospects, with Donovan Clingan impressing the Hawks staff a lot, as well as Reed Sheppard, who could be a possible target in a trade down scenario.

That scenario may involve the Spurs and their No. 4 overall pick in which the Hawks may recoup one of the first-round picks that San Antonio received in the Dejounte Murray trade.

As of right now, there doesn’t seem to be any sign of who the Hawks are leaning towards. Everything coming out from draft pundits suggests they love Clingan, but Jonathan Givony of ESPN reports that other clubs see Zaccharie Risacher as the favorite.

“While it appears the Hawks are far from making final decisions, many teams say their intel indicates Risacher remains the favorite at No. 1.”

Vegas sees it that way too. Most betting outlets, like FanDuel, have Risacher as the favorite to be the No. 1 pick, followed by Alex Sarr and Clingan.

In the ESPN mock draft, Givony projects the Hawks will take the French wing because of the “dual-track flexibility he offers of either remaining competitive next season or tapping into his upside as the type of big, versatile wing that is difficult to acquire outside the draft.”

I could make a case for Alex Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher, or Donovan Clingan, so it comes down to each player’s floor and ceiling. How quickly can they contribute to winning basketball? How long will the Hawks have to wait until they realize their full potential? How high is their ceiling?

These are all important questions the front office must consider.

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Photographer: Glenn Gervot/Icon Sportswire