ATLANTA – The Atlanta Hawks selected Jalen Johnson from Duke with the 20th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft on Thursday, and Auburn’s Sharife Cooper with the 48th overall selection.
Johnson, a 6’9 forward, appeared in 13 games last season (eight starts) during his freshman season at Duke, averaging 11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 21.4 minutes (.523 FG%, .444 3FG%, .632 FT%).
“Jalen is an extremely talented player. He has great size and great ball skills, rebounds and defends,” said Hawks President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Travis Schlenk. “We’re excited to add a player of his talent level to the roster.