Hawks have added incentive to extend Pelicans' skid

Field Level Media|published: Wed 7th January, 02:22 2026

Jan 3, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) controls the ball as Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett (9) tries to defend during the first quarter at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

A win for the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday against the visiting New Orleans Pelicans could carry twice the value.

The Hawks own New Orleans' unprotected first-round draft pick and a victory would not only help Atlanta remain relevant in the playoff picture, it would also send the Pelicans crashing further toward the bottom of the standings, thus improving Atlanta's draft position.

New Orleans has the second-worst record in the NBA; the Pelicans became the first team in the Western Conference to lose 30 games on Tuesday when they fell 111-103 to the Los Angeles Lakers. New Orleans has lost eight straight since its improbable five-game winning streak in early December.

The Hawks got in the enviable draft position by selecting Derik Queen with the 13th pick of the 2025 draft and immediately trading his rights to the Pelicans. Queen has enjoyed a productive rookie season, averaging 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

New Orleans coach James Borrego has been happy with Queen's production, especially on the boards.

"Rebounding is one of those things that are pretty transferable from the college game to the NBA," Borrego said. "That is something (the front office) saw out of college that would translate. That has been there, so I think we should ask for more. Why not? If he's at 10, why not ask for 12? Let's see where he takes it."

Trey Murphy III scored a career-high 42 points against the Lakers. Murphy has combined for 69 points over the last two games after being inactive on Jan. 2 because of a sore back.

The Hawks were swept in a two-game series at Toronto, losing 118-110 on Monday after falling 134-117 on Saturday. Atlanta has dropped nine of its last 11 and have fallen to No. 10 in the Eastern Conference, percentage points ahead of Milwaukee.

The Hawks have played the last five games without Trae Young, who has a right quad contusion. He played only six games after returning from a right MCL sprain that caused him to miss 21 games. The team is also rumored to be talking about potential packages to move the four-time All-Star before the Feb. 4 trade deadline.

Atlanta has been encouraged by the recent play of Zaccharie Risacher, who has become a better defensive player and is growing more comfortable on offense. The league's No. 1 pick from 2024 is averaging 10.8 points and scored 16 points -- all in the second half -- in the last game against Toronto.

"You can be aggressive in a lot of ways," Atlanta coach Quin Snyder said after Monday's game. "He threw himself into the game on the defensive end and got rewarded for it."

Atlanta continues to get tremendous production from Jalen Johnson, who averages 23.7 points, 10.4 rebounds and 8.4 assists. He has 25 double-doubles, the most by an Eastern Conference player. Nickeil Alexander-Walker needs one assist to reach 1,000 and three points to reach 4,000 for his career.

This will be the last of two meetings. Atlanta won the first meeting 115-98 on Nov. 22 in New Orleans. The Hawks have won four of their last five games against the Pelicans.

--Field Level Media