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The free agency hub.
The 2025 Atlanta Hawks free agency hub.
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What third-year player makes the final roster?
With the draft and free agency in the rearview mirror, the Hawks can now focus their attention on claiming the next available piece of hardware: the 2025 Las Vegas Summer League trophy.
Who will be on that roster you might ask? Well, today we have our answer.
The Atlanta Hawks have announced their roster for the summer competition in a release today:
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2025 LVSL Hawks
Headlining the team will be third-year guard Kobe Bufkin, who has suffered two injury-riddled seasons since being drafted 15th overall in 2023. He can show he’s finally ready for a productive season with a strong summer campaign after only seeing action in 27 regular season games over the past two seasons.
Joining him is Nikola Đurišić (Djurisic), the second-year guard/wing who spent the majority of last season with the College Park Skyhawks after suffering a left foot fracture in last year’s summer league. Asa Newell, this year’s first-round pick, and brother of Jalen Johnson, Kobe Johnson, also make the roster.
The head coach for the summer Hawks will be Bryan Bailey. The four-game schedule was already announced, which you can find linked here. A fifth game will be played upon the conclusion of the four games should the Hawks not make the four-team bracket to determine a champion.
How does one watch the games? Well, per the release:
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Who should Atlanta target to fill out their remaining roster spots?
The Atlanta Hawks are one of the hottest stories in the NBA in the wake of their moves over the last ten days.
Kristaps Porzingis, when healthy, is one of the most impactful two-way bigs in the NBA. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is a pesky perimeter defender* with a reliable three-point shot off the catch (42.1% over the past two seasons), and he will be a clean fit in Atlanta’s top seven.
Luke Kennard is known for his deadly perimeter shooting, but can also shoulder some ball-handling duties too, posting a 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio** while spending about half of his minutes at point guard for the Memphis Grizzlies last season. Asa Newell — the 23rd pick in the draft — might be a ways away from making a dent in the rotation, but he projects as a versatile, multi-positional defender down the line.
*Him and Dyson will be a nightmare for opposing ball handlers when they share the floor together
**It’s also good to see that Kennard’s assist:usage ratio (1.20) ranked in the 89th percentile amongst combo guards last season per cleaningtheglass – showing that he efficient with his touches as a playmaker
After four consecutive Play-In Tournament appearances, Hawks fans have a lot to be excited about at the moment, and it’s easy to see why. This team, on paper, has a shot to compete.
That being said, Atlanta’s offseason checklist is not yet complete.
Extension talks for Trae Young and Dyson Daniels loom, however the more pressing matter for the Hawks is that they still have a couple more roster spots left to fill and not a lot of time left to fill them – as the free agent watering hole has all but dried up since the negotiating period opened on June 30th. The Hawks have 12 players rostered currently*, and after the Alexander-Walker and Kennard additions, they find themselves sitting about $7.5 million underneath the tax line – which has been an “electric fence” for Atlanta in terms of roster construction for quite some time.
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To fill out their roster while staying below the tax, the Hawks can sign three players to veteran minimum contracts, or – if there is a player they particularly like – use their $5.1 million bi-annual exception on a premium target, sign one player to a veteran minimum, and leave one spot on their roster open as they are only required to fill 14 out of their 15 available roster spots.
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In terms of needs, I think the Hawks should definitely be looking to add a wing (specifically, a player that can defend 3s), as well as an adequate third big to soak up minutes if either Porzingis or Okongwu miss time. While I certainly wouldn’t be against the Hawks signing another ball handler, given the money they splashed on Alexander-Walker and Kennard (both of whom primarily play in the backcourt) as well as Kobe Bufkin’s presence on the roster, I’d imagine the front office is prioritizing depth on the wing and in the frontcourt rather than in the backcourt at this point in time.
Without further ado, here are a few free agents whom I would consider signing to fill out Atlanta’s roster.
Caleb Houstan (22) - 6’8”, 205 lbs.
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Caleb Houstan is one of the best pure shooters still available on the free agent market, and I’ve been surprised that teams haven’t expressed too much interest in signing the three-year veteran – who is an unrestricted free agent after Orlando declined to pick up his fourth-year option. He was the 32nd overall pick in the 2022 draft and is still just 22 years old, having reclassified up a year prior to his senior year of high school.
Houstan is a 37.2% career three-point shooter and has improved his percentage in each season since entering the league, drilling 40% of his three-point looks on impressive volume (7.6 attempts per 75 possessions) last season. He doesn’t offer much in terms of playmaking or inside the arc scoring, but he would certainly help space the floor for Atlanta’s offense with his 84.6% career three-point attempt rate.
While defense is not exactly his calling card, Houstan has got great size at 6’8” with a 6’11” wingspan, and was part of an Orlando Magic team with a strong defensive culture.
In 2023-24, Orlando posted a 114.7 defensive rating with Houstan on the floor, a mark which ranked in the 60th percentile relative to all players that season per cleaningtheglass. Last season, Orlando posted a defensive rating of 112.0 with him on the floor, a mark which ranked in the 75th percentile relative to all players. Houstan was far from the primary reason for Orlando’s stifling defense during these minutes, but the reason for including these numbers is that they show that when surrounded by other capable defenders, he can be a part of strong defensive units.
I view Houstan as a solid, rotation-level NBA player (with upside!), and he’d be a strong fit on an Atlanta team with enough playmaking to make the most of his offensive skillset.
Javonte Green (32) - 6’5”, 220 lbs.
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A six-year veteran who has suited up for four teams over the course of his career, Javonte Green might be a little long in the tooth, turning 32 on July 23rd, but he is a player who gives his all whenever he takes the floor, and would be a great end of the bench addition for a Hawks team in need of wing defenders.
Green is an absolute nuisance on the less glamorous end of the floor, using his 7’ wingspan to make life difficult for whomever he is matched up against – as evidenced by his career steal and block percentages sitting north of the 2% mark. He is a versatile defender capable of guarding 1-4*, but is typically deployed on opposing teams forwards, making him a strong defensive fit in lineups featuring at least two of Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Zaccharie Risacher, and/or Jalen Johnson. Green’s D-EPM** ranked in the 61st percentile last season, and though he played just nine games in 2023-24, his D-EPM ranked in the 87th percentile in 2022-23, and in the 86th percentile in 2021-22.
*Posting an ‘A-’ or better grade in BBall-Index’s defensive versatility metric in three out of the last four seasons
**A one-number metric for defense. More on EPM here.
Green doesn’t offer much on the offensive end as a hit-or-miss, low volume three-point shooter (33.8% from three on three attempts per 36 for his career) who gets most of his buckets on spot-up attempts, cuts and putbacks. Still, he is capable of knocking down an open three, is an adequate rim-finisher and an excellent offensive rebounder for his size.
On both ends of the floor, Green can be counted on to do the little things. I think he’d be a great get for Atlanta on a minimum contract.
Lamar Stevens (28) - 6’7”, 230 lbs.
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Stevens is another player in the Javonte Green-mold – a no-frills, defense-first wing with a shaky outside shot. He has played for three different teams (Cleveland, Boston, Memphis) since going undrafted back in 2020, and began last season in the G League playing for the Motor City Cruise before the Memphis Grizzlies signed him to their full-time roster in late February.
At 6’7”, 230 pounds, Stevens has the size to guard most forwards and has ranked in the 72nd percentile or better in D-EPM in each of the past three seasons. While he’s rated quite poorly in Bball-Index’s ball screen navigation metric over this span, he’s ranked in the 69th percentile or better in their perimeter isolation defense metric, lending credence to his abilities as a capable wing defender.
While he’s played limited minutes over the past two seasons in Memphis (437 in 2023-24, 155 in 2024-25), his ability to impact the game on the defensive side of the ball has been on full display. In 2023-24, the Grizzlies allowed nine fewer (!) points per 100 possessions with Stevens on the floor, posting a defensive rating of 108.7 per cleaningtheglass – a mark which ranked in the 93rd percentile relative to all players that season. Last season, the Grizzlies allowed 8.4 fewer points per 100 possessions in Stevens’ minutes, posting a defensive rating of 109.3 with him on the floor which ranked in the 91st percentile relative to all players.
Now these are admittedly small sample sizes against less than stellar competition (particularly last season), but the point stands, Stevens is not someone that you can bully on the defensive end of the floor.
Offensively, Stevens is not a perimeter threat, converting just 28.7% of his three-point looks (2.8 attempts per 36) over the course of his career, and falls short in the playmaking and ball-handling departments. Still, if Atlanta is looking for an end of the rotation player that can stifle opposing 3s and 4s in a pinch, Stevens is worth a serious look.
Chris Boucher (32) - 6’10”, 200 lbs.
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Chris Boucher is a player I would seriously consider using the $5.1 million bi-annual exception on if there is competition for his services (as I anticipate there will be). The 32-year-old has spent the last seven seasons in Toronto, and though he might not be the defender that he once was, I’d still trust him to provide Atlanta with solid minutes at either the 4 or the 5 next season.
The biggest appeal for Boucher is that he is one of the few remaining free agents that is capable of playing the ‘5’ while still providing the Hawks with some juice from beyond the arc, as he converted 36.3% of his three-point attempts last season (8.2 attempts per 75 possessions (!)). Through the Porzingis addition, as well as the countless hours put into developing Onyeka Okongwu’s three-point shot over the past few seasons, the Hawks have clearly shown that they value floor-spacing bigs, making Boucher an obvious target.
While Boucher won’t be afraid to let it fly from beyond the arc, he is also really impactful on the offensive glass, with his on/off offensive rebounding impact ranking in the 88th percentile or better in four out of the last six seasons per cleaningtheglass, and is an adequate finisher inside the restricted area.
On the defensive end, Boucher makes his presence felt at the basket. He’s posted a 5.1% block rate for his career, and opponents have shot below league average at the rim in his minutes in five out of the past six seasons per cleaningtheglass. While his defensive impact has waned over the past few seasons, he’s got a lot of NBA experience under his belt, and I think he’d be a great fit alongside Jalen Johnson or Mouhamed Gueye in the Hawks frontcourt.
Given the respective injury histories of Atlanta’s frontcourt players*, Boucher would be a tremendous third big to have on the roster.
*Jalen Johnson has played in 56% of Atlanta’s regular season games over the past two seasons. Kristaps Porzingis has played in just 60% of his regular season games over the past two seasons.
All statistics used are from basketball-reference.com, nba.com/stats, cleaningtheglass.com, dunksandthrees.com and bball-index.com. Salary info is from Spotrac and RealGM.
Photo by Joe Boatman/NBAE via Getty Images
Congrats to Lish!
The Atlanta Dream will have a player playing in the All-Star contest.
Allisha Gray this week was named a starter for the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game.
It marks a symbolic moment for the Atlanta Dream, as Gray revives the franchise’s presence on the All-Star stage. It will be her third consecutive appearance, but it will be her first time starting in the game.
Other players that were voted in were Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever) Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings), Aliyah Boston (Indiana Fever), Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty), Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm), Satou Sabally (Phoenix Mercury), Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty) and A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces).
Gray has been one of the leaders of the team as she is averaging 19.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game this season for Atlanta. She has played a vital role in the Dream season as they are currently 11-6 on the season while also currently placing second in the Eastern Conference and fourth in the overall standings.
Gray is starting to make her mark as a regular All-Star. In 2024, she made history by becoming the first WNBA player ever to win both the Skills Challenge and the 3-Point Contest on the same All-Star weekend.
Gray’s elevation to first-time All-Star starter in 2025 is a testament to her consistent excellence and career growth. It reflects her transformation into one of the league’s most dynamic two-way guards.
The game will be played in Indiana at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It should be exciting as it’s the one time fans get to see the best basketball players play at one time.
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The Hawks got their main target.
After landing Kristaps Porginzis through trade last week, Atlanta has now landed another major target to upgrade their roster. Two-way guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker has reportedly agreed to a contract with the Hawks per Shams Charania of ESPN:
The 26-year-old Alexander-Walker will reportedly come over in a sign-and-trade that has yet to be worked out, but he’s been a major part of two Timberwolves teams that have gone deep into the last two NBA playoffs. He averaged 8.7 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 44% from the floor and 39% from three in his last two seasons in Minnesota. But his calling card, alongside his three-point shooting, is his tough and relentless perimeter defense.
Welcome to Atlanta, Nickeil Alexander-Walker!
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So long to this duo!
With free agency kicking off tonight at 6 PM EDT, the Hawks were expected to make some moves around the edges and possible push out contributors to last year’s team. Well now, the Hawks have reportedly said goodbye to the starting center for the majority of the last fives seasons.
Shams Charania of ESPN has news on Clint Capela’s future:
Capela was acquired during the 2019-20 season but didn’t play for the Hawks that season still recovering from an injury. But after being named the starter for the 2020-21 season, he and the Hawks took off soaring that season all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. Capela finished sixth in the Defensive Player of the Year voting that season in maybe his finest season of his career that spans Atlanta and Houston.
In five seasons with Atlanta, he averaged 11.8 points and 11.3 rebounds per game, but clearly slowed down towards the end of his tenure here — especially struggling with his finishing around the rim. Now, he heads back to Houston where he started his career in a lucrative pact for a reserve big.
Then, Charania also broke news of a 2024-25 Hawks, albeit one with a shorter tenure:
Caris LeVert came over from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the return for De’Andre Hunter at last season’s trade deadline. In 26 games down the stretch for Atlanta, he averaged 14.9 points and 2.9 assists per game in a sixth man role for the Hawks.
Thanks for everything, Clint and Caris!
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There’s one clear player with tons of pressure on his shoulder(s).
The full team for the 2025 Las Vegas Summer League Atlanta Hawks was recently released, and with the first game quickly approaching on July 11, a few players have been put on notice to deliver.
A strong performance from players in the competition can boost them going forwards. Some are looking to break into the 2025-26 regular season rotation for the Hawks. Some are merely trying to stick with the College Park Skyhawks by way of an Exhibit 10 training camp contract and therefore guaranteed money to play the 2025-26 season for the Hawks’ G League affiliate.
Either way, it will be interesting to see if the Hawks can vastly improve on their 0-5 showing in 2024 and push for a top four finish in Las Vegas.
Which players have the most to prove? I’ve tiered each of the 15 members according to their immediate aspirations with the club:
Tier 1: It’s now or never
Kobe Bufkin
It’s been a rough ride since Bufkin was drafted 15th overall in 2023.
He encountered trevails manning point for the Hawks in Las Vegas that summer campaign in 2023 with some unsightly shooting and turnover numbers. Then, at the beginning of the regular season, Bufkin fractured his left (shooting hand) thumb.
He did manage to return and have a strong season with the Skyhawks upon returning from that injury, including dropping 43 points in one contest.
Then, after committing to last year’s Summer League team, he injured his right shoulder in a practice before the competition and was ruled out until the fall. That same shoulder ended his 2024-25 regular season after just 10 games played.
Now, with the Hawks pressing on the gas pedal to compete in the East and bringing in Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard as backup guard options, Bufkin now more than ever has to prove he deserves rotation minutes.
It undoubtedly starts with strong performances this month when he’ll again operate with the ball in his hands for point guard reps. If he can’t break down defenses and play-make at a high level as a third-year guard in this competition — as well as stay healthy — the Hawks just may have to find a new home for him heading into the regular season.
This is a crucial crossroads for him. Teams further away from truly competing could afford to wait on his development into a productive rotation player, but the Hawks no long can do the same with their own expectations set rather high.
Tier 2: Aiming for rotation minutes by the end of 2025-26
Asa Newell
Newell’s roster spot isn’t in any jeopardy, of course, with him having signed a rookie four-year draft slot deal with the Hawks already. But his biggest battle as it stands now is with third-year big Mouhamed Gueye for reserve big minutes behind Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu and Kristaps Porzingis.
How much will his motor and physical gifts translate to Summer League? It would go a long way for him to look like a man amongst boys as a high-ranking high school recruit and one-and-done player from a very difficult Southeastern Conference. He’ll surely see a fair bit of run in College Park, but come late in this upcoming season, he could eke out some minutes with the senior squad.
Nikola Djurisic
The young Serbian has had almost as treacherous a journey as Bufkin. This time last year in Las Vegas, Djurisic fractured his left foot in a play during the second Summer League game after being drafted 43rd overall in the 2024 NBA Draft. He had surgery and returned to play with the College Park Skyhawks later in the season without even a two-way contract.
Now, Djurisic is likely playing for some amount of guaranteed money whether here or elsewhere. He had an unsteady rookie season in the G League last year, and so he’ll need to play a more efficient brand of ball to stick with the Hawks this summer and fall.
Tier 3: Seeking a guaranteed deal
Lamont Butler
Similar to Keaton Wallace, who has a qualifying offer for a two-way contract pending, the Hawks have recently targeted defensive-minded guards for the back of their rosters. This (unofficial but reportedly happening soon) signing seems to be no different.
Lamont Butler’s primary role is to be an on-ball defender, so any offensive contributions you get from him is a bonus. But if he can come in and consistently make it tough for opponents in Las Vegas to get downhill, his worth on a two-way will be evident.
Eli Ndiaye
Ndiaye spent this past year teamed up with Hawks of past, Walter ‘Edy’ Tavares, Bruno Fernando, and even the briefly acquired Usman Garuba who was later traded away in the same summer. He’s a young Senegalese and Spanish forward who has spent his last eight years in the youth system and senior team of Real Madrid Baloncesto.
Soon after the draft, the Hawks and Ndiaye agreed on a two-way contract for this season. While he was largely just a reserve/rotational player in Spain, his age, skill, frame, and all-around ability as an undersized forward may turn some heads once we get to see him in the summer showcase.
Jacob Toppin
Toppin, the brother of Pacer Obi, signed a two-year two-way contract with the Hawks towards the end of last season and only played the final game for the Hawks. He’s a rangy 6-foot-9 forward who stretches the floor well, but he has a chance to showcase his all-around game this summer as a relative veteran of the competition.
Tier 4: Seeking a two-way deal
Kobe Johnson
Let’s get this out of the way: if you hadn’t heard, yes, he’s the brother of Jalen Johnson. But Kobe can really play in his own right. He was a priority Exhibit 10 signing for the Hawks soon after the draft, indicating he’ll likely join the Hawks for training camp this fall.
Johnson is a solid athlete like his brother who played at both the University of Southern California (USC) and UCLA. He is more wing-sized (6’6”) than Jalen, and the athleticism never materialized into tons of production during his four-year college career, but he can use this summer league to demonstrate he can shoot off the catch and defend his position at an NBA level.
Adam Flagler
Here we have our first of many local connections. Duluth, GA is home to Flagler, and the now 25-year-old was a three-sport star at Duluth High School. Since going undrafted in 2023, Flagler has spent his professional basketball career split between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Oklahoma City Blue with one of the past two seasons on a two-way contract.
On the court, he’s an explosive 6-foot-3 guard who can score at all three levels — but one still trying to learn how to operate as a steady point guard at the NBA level.
Jack White
The first of two Australians named Jack profiled here, White is a 6-foot-6 swing forward who had the honor of being the number one overall draft pick in the 2023 NBA G League draft. He has had just two cups of coffee with NBA teams (21 games with the Nuggets and Grizzlies combined) and has mixed that professional experience with play in Australia and Germany.
This may be his final shot to catch on with an NBA team at the ripe age of 27, and his strong shooting and rebounding profile may just catch the eye of the Hawks in Las Vegas.
Jack McVeigh
McVeigh similarly has split his time between the NBA, G League, and Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He fits the bill as a stretch-4 who fired up 8.6 attempted threes (hitting 36% of them) per game with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers while on a two-way contract with the Houston Rockets. The defense and rebounding are worries (not to mention he’s pushing 30 years of age), but his modern archetype could find him an NBA role somewhere.
Tier 5: Could be College Park-bound with a strong performance
Dwight Murray Jr.
Murray is familiar with the Hawks’ program under Quin Snyder. He is one of three members of last year’s G League team to find his way onto this roster along with Djurisic and Toppin. The small guard from Austell, GA can fill it up from deep when given the chance — although he’ll need to improve on a rough 39/32/76 shooting splits performance with the Skyhawks last season to have a chance to return for 2025-26.
Jake Stephens
Stephens is a 6-foot-11 center who went undrafted in 2023 after a career across Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC). In the years since, he’s played for G League teams the Capitol City Go-Go and the Stockton Kings in 2023-24 and for Monbus Obradoiro in Santiago de Compostela, Spain and KK FMP in Belgrade, Serbia in 2024-25.
Although he has some passing chops, he profiles as little more than a big body to grab rebounds and play drop defense near the rim.
Javan Johnson
No, he’s not Jalen Johnson — although the pronunciation of his name does rhyme. After an extensive college career spanning 2017 to 2023, Javan Johnson spent the last two seasons with Golden State’s G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors. The 6-foot-6 forward is an eagle-eyed shooter (39% on 7.4 three-point attempts per game in those two seasons), but can he defend well enough to be a 3-and-D wing at the NBA level?
Deivon Smith
We have another player with extensive Atlanta-area connections, as Smith played high school ball at sports powerhouse Grayson High School in nearby Lawrenceville, GA. He also played a Georgia Tech for two seasons in college between his multiple transfer stints at the Division I level.
The 2025 undrafted rookie Deivon Smith averaged 11.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists across his final two seasons at Utah and St. John’s in New York. He’s a shifty, slightly-build point guard who gets downhill with ease. The outside shot is inconsistent — and his 6-foot-1, 165-pound frame is hardly NBA-ready — but his agility allows him to create advantages almost on command, and that agility gives him capable on-ball deterrence on defense.
Nelly Junior Joseph
A native of Benin City, Nigeria, Nelly Junior Joseph came through the NBA Academy Africa and earned a scholarship to Iona after being discovered. He worked hard on his game and was named to the All-Conference first-team in both the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and the Mountain West Conference (MWC) after transferring to the University of New Mexico.
At 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds, he averaged a double-double his senior year with the Lobos, and he looks to prove himself at the professional level after going undrafted in the most recent draft.
