The Atlanta Hawks didn’t have a strong 2024–25 season. Many thought the team was doomed after trading Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans. Their star point guard, Trae Young, kept playing at a high level, but it wasn’t enough.
The Hawks’ season ended yet again in the play-in tournament, but with two first-round picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, Atlanta is expected to continue its long-term growth and use its No. 13 pick to replace Clint Capela, who has been linked with a move to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Atlanta Hawks Projected To Select Clint Capela’s Replacement With No. 13 Pick in 2025 NBA Draft
Capela is the only traditional center currently on the Hawks roster. Even if he stays this summer, he is 31 and beginning to slow down. The 6’8″ Onyeka Okongwu has been settling well into the starting role, averaging 13.4 points and 8.9 rebounds last season.
Still, the Hawks badly need some size and young energy, and that’s where Michigan Wolverines standout Danny Wolf could come in and immediately start playing minutes in 2025. The latest NBA mock draft from NBC Sports predicts the Hawks will use their first draft pick on Wolf.
“Onyeka Okongwu is the starting center in Atlanta, and with Clint Capela almost certainly gone via free agency, the Hawks want some depth at the five. Wolf gives them that,” wrote NBC Sports analyst Kurt Helin. “He has a strong feel for the game with guard-like passing skills. He may not defend well enough (or be explosive enough as an athlete) to be a starting five, but he has an NBA role.”
At 7’0″, Wolf possesses an unusually high level of ball-handling and passing skill for the position. He nearly averaged a double-double for the Wolverines this season with 13.2 PPG and 9.7 RPG, while adding just under four assists per game as one of the primary playmakers.
Danny Wolf is incredibly unique in his comfort handling the rock, operating out of ball screens, dotting passes, and drilling stepbacks at nearly 7-foot. The question: how does it translate? His feel, physicality, and fight on the glass should help. https://t.co/sqEj0G5Pse pic.twitter.com/gTIp0u7CDE
— Jacob Myers (@League_Him) June 15, 2025
While Wolf isn’t an efficient 3-point shooter, he is a fluid athlete for his size. His footwork has allowed him to take step-back jumpers and beat defenders off the dribble, albeit while averaging 3.2 turnovers per game due to his lack of a polished handle.
The bigger issue is on defense, where Wolf’s lack of explosive athleticism hurts, and it’s one of the primary reasons he slipped to the Sacramento Kings at 42nd overall in PFSN’s latest mock draft by Cam Mellor. Nevertheless, Wolf’s offensive versatility stands out, and he’s a unique fit with long-term upside.
Who Did PFSN Predict The Hawks To Select Instead At No. 13?
Mellor predicted the Hawks to select Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe at 13th overall. Just like Wolf dropping to the second round would be a surprise, so would Edgecombe dropping out of the top 10, and if he is available at No. 13 on the draft day, the Hawks might not take a second to decide between the two.
“V.J. Edgecombe walked into the Big 12 and walked out with Freshman of the Year honors, immediately planting himself on the 2025 NBA Draft radar,” Mellor wrote. “What he did in his first year at Baylor was flat-out impressive.
“Right now, he might just be the best defensive guard in this class. And the fact that he’s only getting better across the board? That’s a terrifying proposition, especially for the Hawks, who get a steal here at No. 13.”
