2025 NBA Draft Grades: What Grade Does Atlanta Get For Trading Down For Asa Newell?

The Atlanta Hawks drafted Georgia forward Asa Newell with the No. 23 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

The Atlanta Hawks have been making moves this offseason, and so far, in this year's draft, they've made multiple trades. While everyone was thinking that they would be trading up to draft Khaman Maluach out of Duke, they instead traded the No. 13 pick to New Orleans in exchange for the No. 23 overall pick in this year's draft, plus an unprotected 2026 draft pick.

The Atlanta Hawks are in win-now mode, and it was made clear when they made the trade for Kristaps Porzingis and traded away one of their two first-round draft picks to Brooklyn in the three-team trade. The Eastern Conference is wide open, and the Hawks are looking to take advantage of that this upcoming season.

One of the areas where the Hawks lacked depth was at the frontcourt positions, as they saw many of their frontcourt players struggle with injuries and inconsistent play this season. Adding Newell to the team helps address those issues, as he averaged 15.4 points per game, 6.9 rebounds, one steal, and one block for Georgia.

Newell is an athletic power forward who can shoot the basketball effectively and can switch to multiple positions on defense. They can guard on-ball screens and be a good ball handler as well. His ability to create easy scoring opportunities for himself off rolls, cuts, and transitions will make him a significant factor in the Hawks' offense.

If I had to compare him to someone in the NBA, it would likely be John Collins, as they have the same strengths and weaknesses based on their ability to play inside the paint and, at times, make shots, as well as rebound the basketball at a reasonable rate. They both don't offer much in terms of elite rim protection or overall defense, but it is enough to be serviceable, as we've seen when John Collins was in Atlanta for his first few seasons in the NBA.