GM Onsi Saleh | Post-Draft Press Conference

GM Onsi Saleh | Post-Draft Press Conference

honestly um when you made the decision to move down just what kind of confidence did you have that that was kind of the right move that the player that you were looking at would be available yeah honestly like didn’t know you know you never know if somebody’s going to be available when you move down that far um we felt good about a bucket of players if we did get there and um it just it was the right thing to do for us it was a just made sense for us and where we’re at and I think it just helped our future a little bit so um yeah was good trade and then of course Asa just what stood out to you in the pre-draft process that made you feel he was somebody who could fit with the Hawks uh yeah I mean Asa just the character of the person the human being he’s he’s unbelievable he’s unbelievable and uh just like where the league is going people people’s size athleticism like that they just they just make sense we see it a lot in the uh in the playoffs right now um yeah he could could stretch it out too on top of it he’s he’s really talented uh great screener great human being ridiculous athlete really smart player too uh Brad Roland from Locked On Hooks uh as far as you mentioned the future of the trade that UB has made um what’s kind of the calculus in terms of the upside of that pick knowing that it has the optionality of it being swapped from two teams like how do you kind of approach that as the main you know enticement to move down yeah i I mean I just felt like we like to we like to buck it up players that could potentially be there at 23 and it was really hard to give up that pick at 13 like that’s that’s a really that’s a lottery pick um just given the context of uh where we’re at and uh it just made sense to do something like that just for different purposes when it comes to roster building and things like that so it it just felt like it was the right move good fair deal like when it came down to it at the end of the day it was again really hard to give up 13 but uh we got a guy that was in our bucket um that we’re considering there at 23 so yeah it was good trade for us as far as uh Ace’s projection um particularly on on the offensive end of the floor how do you kind of see him impacting um winning in terms of what you’re valuing on that end of the floor yeah he he plays hard as hell like if you guys have watched him this year like Asa is just an unbelievable competitor he if you watch him play or get up and down the court screening his intelligence spacing respacing like the things that he does impacts winning like people could just look at scoring and box score stuff like that but the guy he he really helps with winning and creating a culture of winning um for your program so again it’s kind of what I talked about before you know bringing in winning players and we got one on Caleb Johnson 929 the game uh I’m sure something that maybe doesn’t matter super much to you but uh as far as ASA being a local guy being someone from Georgia uh with the Falcons just drafting someone that came from Georgia what is it like to have a guy who just mentioned to us earlier had a Kyle Corver jersey growing up as a fan oh wow well yeah that don’t tell Kyle that his head’s gonna get too big so like no we can’t do that but uh no it’s really cool like it’s pretty cool that he just down the road um played at Georgia yeah it’s just really exciting i think it’s cool for the state of Georgia i really do just to have a guy um that played out there that’s an Atlanta Hawk now it’s really special so just really excited about him hey on City Jack Keys Fox 5 Sports Atlanta as far as trading back from that 13th overall pick was that something that you guys were weighing internally as an organization for quite some time or was it more of like a reactionary spur-of the- moment type ordeal yeah again because it was like a really it’s a it was a really good pick so I mean we got a lot of calls on it we we expected that honestly just given the context of this draft um so it was just it was expected but there was a lot of different iterations of things going on and you have a lot of stuff a lot of teams calling you every minute um and we just had to make the deal that felt right for us and uh thought it was a thought it made sense for us at the time hey Anie um as far as you know the players in your buckets how early in the process did Asa sort of show up in the Hawks’ bucket yeah I mean he was right down the road so it was it was easy to see him but no he he was somebody we had scouted all year long um some of our guys have uh I mean yeah we’ve it’s an easy scout to go out there so I I just think he was somebody we watched all year long and I mean we just loved him when he was we were scouting him it just made sense for everything what we’re what we’re about and building a program so yeah it was it was pretty easy to do hey Victor PTO uh Fox 5 Atlanta it’s obviously been a pretty hectic 36 hours for you did you expect it to be kind of this crazy going into it for your the first time as general manager uh just like with the draft and every the draft is always crazy it’s uh it it’s funny the draft is always crazy even if you don’t have a pick like the draft gets pretty wild because you try and get in you try and figure out the second round you kind of go through iterations of the roster and things like that um but yeah it’s honestly it’s it been busy for sure but it’s like u I feel like this is kind of how most drafts go honestly yeah and because of the amount of options and variables I guess you guys could have had on the table especially going into it with two picks and leaving it with the one trading back how did you think going into it how did your opinions change I guess as the night progressed as your options kind of dwindle it yeah I mean you like I said you get a bunch of teams calling all the time different offers and things like that you put them up on the board you weigh out everything you know the the shortterm and long-term impact of it and you just kind of you just balance it out and just uh decide what the right decision and via obviously scouting but analytics projections things like that so take all that data and information and make a decision make the most informed decision you can charles ODM with the Associated Press um do you have any uh interest in adding a a pick tomorrow or do you feel good about where you’re at roster wise now yeah we’re I mean we’re flexible i mean we’re we’re optional and the optionality is a word I keep saying uh we have different things i see you shaking your head Lauren um yeah it’s like something we’re definitely interested in for sure a lot of lot of things that we could do but we’ll get there when we get there edwin Pow with the Hawks beat um you mentioned a lot of things that you really like about Asa what are some areas of growth that you think um he can use to improve on yeah i mean when you’re drafting guys this young like it’s going to take some time for them to be the best version of themselves so the thing I’m not worried about is like his work ethic his character like he is about the work and he is about being what matters to us most as like Atlanta Hawks um I’m not worried about anything he He has all the talent in the world he really does but he’ll work on everything like that’s what you should do at this uh stage cool thank you guys appreciate y’all

Atlanta Hawks General Manager Onsi Saleh addresses the media following the completion of the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, where the Atlanta Hawks acquired the draft rights to #23 pick, Asa Newell of the University of Georgia.

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