Story by KL Chouinard

Twitter: @KLChouinard

Even on the day of the 2019 NBA Draft, general manager Travis Schlenk stuck with his daily routine. He left his desk and his office and went for a walk in the middle of day.



"It started pouring," Schlenk said. "And when I came back, it cleansed off all the dirt from me, I guess. So things worked out and we got lucky and Cam was there for us."



Over the course of a little more than two years, Schlenk has clarified the Hawks' roster in a manner comparable to what the rain did to him. When he was introduced as the team's General Manager and Head of Basketball Operations in May 2017, Schlenk said that the Hawks were in a better position than most rebuilding teams. He specifically cited the number of drafts picks that Atlanta held over the next three drafts.



Fast forward and three drafts later, Schlenk has a young core of John Collins, Trae Young, Kevin Huerter – and Cam Reddish.



The Hawks chose Reddish Thursday with the #10 pick. A 6-foot-8 forward from Duke, Reddish was one of the most highly coveted freshmen in the draft, after a season in which he averaged 13.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals for the Blue Devils. The 19-year-old earned All-ACC honorable mention honors in his sole collegiate season, and he scored in double figures on 23 occasions, including eight 20-point games.