Former University of Virginia standout De'Andre Hunter, right, is greeted by NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted fourth overall by the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night in New York. Hunter will actually play for the Atlanta Hawks as part of a deal involving the New Orleans Pelicans.ATLANTA - The Atlanta Hawks pulled off another blockbuster deal on NBA draft night to get the player they wanted - and then they landed another with the remnants of last year's big trade.
The rebuilding Hawks added to their impressive young core by selecting wingman De'Andre Hunter from national champion Virginia on Thursday with the No. 4 pick, which was acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans shortly before the draft began.
Less than an hour later, the Hawks grabbed Duke guard Cam Reddish at No. 10 - using the selection they got from the Dallas Mavericks in last year's trade that sent Luka Doncic west and brought Trae Young to Atlanta.
"We're really excited with the way it played out for us," Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk said.
The fourth pick was technically made by the Los Angeles Lakers as part of the trade that will send Anthony Davis from New Orleans to L.A., but Hunter will wind up with the Hawks after their deal with the Pelicans. To move up, Atlanta surrendered the No. 8, No. 17 and No. 35 picks, along with a protected first-round choice from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2020 that belonged to Atlanta.
The Hawks also got the No. 57 selection, a future second-round pick and forward Solomon Hill. The trade was confirmed by a person familiar with the deal but can't be finalized until the NBA's new year begins on July 6.
Turns out they weren't done dealing, packaging the 57th pick and two future second-round picks to land 6-foot-10 center Bruno Fernando of Maryland with the Philadelphia 76ers' pick at No. 34. Like the trade for Hunter, the deal won't become official until July 6.
Atlanta targeted the 6-7, 225-pound Hunter as the seemingly perfect fit on a team that already has two of the league's rising stars: Young at point guard and big man John Collins.
"YESSSSIRRRR!!!" Young tweeted. "Let's Work."
Hunter was wearing a Lakers cap at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where the draft was held, but he knew Atlanta was his actual destination.
"When I went there (for a workout), they had a pretty strong feeling about me," he said. "I knew that was the place I wanted to be. That was one of my destinations. I'm happy they traded up and got that pick."
Hunter was also wearing a picture of his father, who died when De'Andre was just 7 years old.
"He's here watching over me," Hunter said.
The 6-8, 208-pound Reddish is cut from the same mold as Hunter, but he's coming off an uneven freshman season with the Blue Devils. Reddish arrived at Duke as a top-five recruit but was only the third option behind teammates Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett, who went ahead of him in the draft at No. 1 and No. 3.
"I've got a little chip on my shoulder to come in and prove myself," Reddish said.
With his inside-out ability and 7-foot-2 wingspan, Hunter led the Cavaliers to their first national championship as a redshirt sophomore, most notably hitting the overtime-forcing 3-pointer in the victory over Texas Tech in the title game. He was the Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year and picked up the national defensive award from the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
Hunter isn't as flashy as others in the draft and, if anything, he needs to be more assertive. There were times when he blended into the background with his unselfish play and an offensive game that still needs a bit of refining.
He averaged 15.2 points on 52% shooting and hit nearly 44% of his attempts beyond the arc, though, which is just what the Hawks are looking for on a team that Schlenk hopes to build in the mold of the Golden State Warriors, who have reached the past five NBA Finals and won three titles in that span.
Hunter's biggest selling point: Virginia won 66 of 71 games over two seasons with him in the lineup and lost the only game without him - that shocker against No. 16 seed University of Maryland, Baltimore County in the 2018 NCAA tournament.
Reddish is a stellar athlete with the potential to be a long-range shooter and lockdown defender with his 7-foot wingspan, but he struggled offensively at Duke (35.6% shooting overall, 33.3% on 3-pointers) and was a surprise late scratch against Virginia Tech in this year's Sweet 16 with a left knee injury. He also had a minor procedure for a nagging core muscle injury and won't be able to play in the summer league, Schlenk said, but should be ready to go when training camp begins.
"We had him ranked higher than (No. 10) on our board," the general manager said. "We rolled the dice and won."
The additions of Hunter and Reddish might propel the Hawks from 29 wins this past season to the fringe of playoff contention next season, but they'll get a chance to take their overhaul to another level in 2020.
Schlenk has been acquiring overpriced players other teams wanted to get off the books, including Hill ($12.8 million in 2019-20), Miles Plumlee ($12.5 million) and Allen Crabbe ($18.5 million). The Hawks also have Kent Bazemore, who will make $19.3 million next season. All four of those players come off the books a year from now, freeing up $63.1 million to spend in free agency.