Hawks Gm Pete Babcock confirmed that draft-linked trade talks are 'serious', but not to the point where he is willing to give up the third overall pick just yet. "We're talking to a lot of teams, but at this point I doubt anything is going to happen," Babcock said. The Hawks seem to be looking in the direction of Kwame Brown, who is expected to be gone in the first two picks, and if he is Shane Battier looks to be their man. If the Hawks do in fact trade their pick, do not expect an announcement until after the draft. That's because they are committed to sending next year's first-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers to complete the 1999 Lorenzen Wright trade. A team cannot trade its first-round pick in consecutive years, so if there is a deal, the Hawks must make the selection and announce the trade afterward.
