The Hawks have been relatively successful in the last couple of years. Their most recent appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals was in 2021. The Hawks have been a solid team and have a solid chance of contending for the NBA championship every year after they drafted Trae Young. While credit to Trae Young for being an all-star caliber player, the one person we should be grateful for is the current president of the Atlanta Hawks, Travis Schlenk.

The History of Travis Schlenk

Travis Schlenk earned his first job in the basketball world by becoming the director of basketball operations for the University of Georgia in 1998. The following year, Schlenk was hired as a video coordinator for the Miami Heat. After his four-year stint with the Heat, Schlenk started working as a video scout with the Golden State Warriors in 2004. Schlenk rose through the ranks, becoming the assistant general manager and eventually leaving in 2017 to help the rebuilding Atlanta Hawks. He became the general manager for the Hawks, becoming the President in the summer of 2019.

The Genius of Travis Schlenk

Through the experience he has accumulated over the years, Schlenk has developed a keen eye for talent. He is partly responsible for the Golden State Warrior’s core. Schlenk helped draft Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, but he is most known for helping draft Draymond Green, a gem in the draft’s second round. With the Hawks, Schlenk has quickly turned around the rebuilding Hawks in a couple of years. With the acquisition of Trae Young through the draft and Clint Capela, both of which are key contributor for the Atlanta Hawks.

Hitting on All the Draft Picks

Schlenk has done an excellent job in the draft. His first-round picks all contribute to the Atlanta Hawks today, starting with John Collins as the longest-tenured hawk and ending with AJ Griffin, the rookie who is off to a tremendous start. Here is an infographic about all of Schlenk’s first-round picks: