Hawks Summer League Roster Features Returning Talent, New Faces, and Big Questions

Unlike last summer, the team will have Kobe Bufkin, as he has recovered from his season-ending shoulder injury, which he underwent surgery for on January 7th. Bufkin has shown the ability to be a reliable defender and a decent floor general with the ball in his hands, as he will likely only be playing in a few games, as he's been trying to prove himself as a valid backup guard option. Still, the last few seasons since he's been drafted have been cut short due to injury.

Many of these Hawks players are new additions, but there are some familiar faces, including last year's second-round pick Nikola Durisic and assistant coach Bryan Bailey, who will serve as the head coach for the team for the third year in a row. Let's take a look at what each player's strengths are on this year's summer league roster:

Rookies/Draft Picks/Skyhawks:

Asa Newell (Forward, University of Georgia)

The Atlanta Hawks traded the 13th pick in the NBA Draft for the 23rd pick and an unprotected first-round 2026 draft pick. In return for the 2025 pick, they drafted Asa Newell. The Hawks selected Newell because of his ability to play inside the paint and, at times, make shots, as well as rebound the basketball at a reasonable rate. He averaged 15.4 points per game, 6.9 rebounds, one steal, and one block for Georgia on 54/23/74% shooting splits, which are suitable for his position, and it will be fun to see how he plays this summer.

Kobe Bufkin (Guard, University of Michigan)

Bufkin has shown some flashes of being a solid backup option for the Atlanta Hawks behind the likes of Trae Young and Dyson Daniels. The last two seasons, however, have been cut short with season-ending injuries to his shoulder, which have bothered him. Specifically, in the 2023-24 season, he suffered a shoulder subluxation in practice, which cut his season short. In 2024-25, Bufkin returned to play in a few games and re-injured the same shoulder and had to undergo season-ending surgery in January to address the right shoulder instability. Bufkin had some good defensive performances, specifically against Kyrie Irving, where he forced him into a few turnovers, showcasing his 6-foot-5 height and 6-foot-8 wingspan.

Nikola Djurisic (Guard/Forward, Serbia)

Djurisic is a 6-foot-8 forward who was selected with the 43rd pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. However, his rookie campaign was cut short last year in the Summer League after he fractured his foot. Following surgery, he joined the Skyhawks in the G League without a guaranteed contract. During his time with the Skyhawks, he averaged 12 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 39/18/83 shooting splits, which aren't ideal, but he will have a chance to prove himself on the Hawks roster in the future.

Jacob Toppin (Forward, University of Kentucky)

With the Skyhawks, Toppin played very well, as he averaged 19.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists on 49.6/37.8/76.2% shooting splits. Toppin has shown he can be a serviceable offensive player all around. His scoring is his greatest strength, as evidenced by his 32-point performance against the Delaware Blue Coats and his 44-point performance against the Birmingham Squadron. His length is a notable asset, as he stands at 6-foot-9 and was signed to a two-way contract with the Hawks. He appeared in one game against the Orlando Magic, scoring 17 points on 50% shooting from the field and 62% from three-point range.

Kobe Johnson (Guard, UCLA)

This is the brother of Hawks star Jalen Johnson, and he was signed to an Exhibit 10 deal, guaranteeing him a spot in the team's training camp. However, he will be active on the Hawks' Summer League and training camp rosters. Kobe, similar to his brother, is a good athlete, but he doesn't possess the same level of talent as his brother. However, he can still be serviceable at the NBA level based on his ability to defend, as he averaged 1.6 steals per game at UCLA this season, and his ability to shoot the basketball, as he shot 36% from three-point range.

Dwight Murray JR. (Guard, Rider University)

Murray is one of the three players from the Hawks Summer League roster that has been on the main roster for the Atlanta Hawks. He will likely be on his way back to College Park, as he has shown to be an inconsistent player, but can at times get hot from shooting the three-point ball, and is a solid playmaker, averaging 5.6 assists for the Skyhawks this season.

Deivon Smith (Guard, St.Johns)

Smith is an undrafted rookie who started his collegiate career at Mississippi State, then transferred to Georgia Tech, Utah, and St. John's, where he played close to 30 minutes a game but struggled with inefficient shooting splits of 38/33/66%. His primary skills, which enable him to stay on the court for consistent minutes, include speed, playmaking, and rebounding. He averaged 4.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists for St. John's last season and has shown the ability to get to the basket despite being listed at 6-foot-1, 156 pounds.

Javan Johnson (Forward, Depaul University)

Johnson has played with the Golden State Warriors' G League team, the Santa Cruz Warriors, and during that time, shot the ball well, with shooting splits of 44/39/90%, and averaged 16.2 points per game, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. He has shown the potential to defend and hit the three-point shot, which will be essential to the Atlanta Hawks' Summer League roster this summer.

Lamont Butler (Guard, University of Kentucky)

Butler recently signed a two-way contract with the Hawks after going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft and will likely be relied upon for his defense. This contract, however, will allow Butler to split time between the Atlanta Hawks and the College Park Skyhawks throughout the season. Nevertheless, he can still be a valuable addition to this summer league roster, even though he likely won't be relied upon to score much. During his senior season at Kentucky this year, he averaged 11.4 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.9 rebounds, shooting splits of 49/39/73.

Jack McVeigh (Forward, University of Nebraska)

McVeigh has been back and forth between the G League, the NBA, and the Australian NBL, consistently demonstrating a strong ability to shoot from three-point range. In the G League this past season, he had a game in which he scored 33 points on 55% shooting, making eight three-pointers against the Iowa Wolves. For the season, he averaged 16.2 points per game, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on shooting splits of 44/37/87%.

Adam Flagler (Guard, Baylor University)

Flagler has played two seasons in the G League and was called up by the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the main roster, where he helped the team win an NBA Championship. In the one game he played with the Oklahoma City Blue this season, he scored 31 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out five assists. His shooting splits for his career in the G league are 44% from the field, 42% from three-point range, and 95% from the free throw line.

Eli Ndiaye (Forward, Real Madrid)

Ndiaye is now on a two way deal with the Atlanta Hawks and the College Park Skyhawks after playing in the EuroLeague for four years, he was a very efficient player with shooting splits of 58/32/71% and was able to play alongside some NBA talent in Bruno Fernando and Usman Garuba. With his young age and overall skill set, he will likely catch some people by surprise with what he's able to put on display in the Summer League.

Jack White (Forward, Duke University)

White is a 6-foot-6 forward who has been switching between the NBA, the G League, and the NBL. He was the first pick of the G League draft in 2023 and was fortunate to win a NBA Championship with the Denver Nuggets that season, however, this season in the NBL, White averaged 13.8 points per game, 9.4 rebounds, on 51% shooting from the field, 32% shooting from three point range, and 69% from the free throw line. At 27 years old, this could be one of the last opportunities at an NBA roster spot for White.

Jake Stephens (Center, Chattanooga)

Stephens stands at 6-foot-11, having graduated from VMI, Virginia Military Institute, where he went undrafted. However, he can score the basketball at a decent rate for his size, as evidenced by his NBL averages of eight points on 67/35/76% shooting splits. In the G League, he averaged eight points, five rebounds, and two assists on 58/31/91% shooting splits, where he has shown the ability to be a good post defender.

Nelly JR. Joseph (Forward, University of New Mexico)

Coming out of Nigeria, Joseph played at the NBA Academy in Africa and secured a scholarship, eventually going on to play in college. While in college, he played at both Iona and New Mexico, where he averaged 12.5 points, nine rebounds, along with 1.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game for his college career. With this, he went on to make the All-Conference first team in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) after transferring to the University of New Mexico from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).

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