Atlanta Hawks Announce Pair of Training Camp Signings

The Atlanta Hawks have signed forward Javan (JAY-vin) Johnson and guard Dwight Murray Jr., the team announced today.

Johnson owns two seasons of NBA G League experience, suiting up for the Santa Cruz Warriors (2023-25), averaging 11.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 23.9 minutes in 97 games (69 starts) including Tip-Off Tournament and regular season.

The 6-6 forward appeared in three games with the Hawks at the NBA 2K26 Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging 7.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 18.4 minutes. He also owns two seasons of international playing experience, playing for Gladiadores de Anzoategui of the Venezuelan SLB (2023-25).

The Decatur, Alabama, native appeared in 127 games (96 starts) across five collegiate seasons, suiting up for Troy (2017-19), Iowa State (2020-21) and DePaul (2021-23). He owns collegiate career averages of 9.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 27.3 minutes.

Murray Jr. appeared in 43 games (29 starts) with the College Park Skyhawks during the 2024-25 season (including Tip-Off Tournament and regular season), averaging 9.0 points, 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 23.9 minutes of play.

A member of Atlanta’s NBA 2K26 Summer League team, the 6-0 guard appeared in three games, tallying 4.3 points in 13.6 minutes.

Undrafted in 2023, Murray Jr. spent the 2023-24 campaign with KK Mornar (Montenegro), appearing in 28 games (27 starts) across three leagues (Liga ABA, Europe Cup, BLC Qual), tallying 9.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 21.2 minutes.

The Austell, Georgia, native saw action in 145 games (114 starts) across five collegiate seasons, suiting up for Incarnate Word (2018-20) and Rider (2020-23). A 2022-23 All-MAAC First Team selection, Murray Jr. owned collegiate career averages of 12.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 32.0 minutes (.425 FG%, .356 3FG%, .831 FT%).

Could they challenge for roster spots?

I doubt that Johnson and Murray Jr make the roster.

The Hawks have two players in Caleb Houstan and N'Faly Dante who could possibly fill out their roster, but because the deals are not guaranteed, Atlanta could move on from them and have enough space to sign multiple minimum contracts and still be under the luxury tax.

Will that happen? We will have to see, but general manager Onsi Saleh values optionality and the deals in the last week prove that.

It is possible that Dante and Houstan end up being the last two guys on the roster though and they would make a lot of sense.

Houstan (pronounced “Houston”) appeared in 58 games (six starts) during the 2024-25 season with the Orlando Magic, averaging 4.1 points and 1.3 rebounds in 13.6 minutes (.421 FG%, .400 3FG%, .882 FT%). Following the All-Star break, he recorded a .507% clip from three-point range, the second-highest mark in the NBA amongst all players over that time (min. 35 3FGM). Against Minnesota on March 14, Houstan poured in a season-best 18 points on a season-high tying six made triples (6-8 3FGM), in addition to swiping a career-high tying four steals in 27 minutes of action.

Selected by Orlando with the 32nd overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Houstan has seen action in 168 career games (23 starts), owning averages of 4.1 points and 1.5 rebounds in 14.4 minutes. He has also appeared in eight playoff games across two postseason runs with the Magic.

Dante appeared in four games with the Houston Rockets on a two-way contract during the 2024-25 season, averaging 6.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 12.8 minutes of action (.769 FG%, .800 FT%). In his NBA debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 3, he tallied a near double-double, contributing 10 points, nine rebounds, one assist and two blocks in 18 minutes of play. He became just the second player in the NBA since 1983-84 to post those numbers in an NBA debut while appearing in fewer than 20 minutes, joining Kevin Love (Oct. 29, 2008, vs. Sacramento).

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