Hawks trade down, select Georgia big man at No. 23

After trading down from No. 13 to No. 23, the Hawks have used their first-round pick to select Georgia big man Asa Newell.

According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (X link), Atlanta had considered Newell at No. 13 before making their deal with New Orleans. He has strong hometown ties to Atlanta; he was born there before playing collegiately at Georgia.

Newell averaged 15.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block in 29.0 minutes per contest on .543/.292/.748 shooting in 33 games for the Bulldogs. He helped Georgia advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015.

Newell’s defensive versatility, athleticism, and compete level are considered assets, though he’s a bit undersized for a center (6’9″ with a 6-foot-11 wingspan), so it remains to be seen whether he’ll see more time at the four or five at the NBA level.

Regardless of where he ends up spending time at the next level, Atlanta could use another depth big man. Larry Nance Jr. and Clint Capela are free agents, leaving the team without much frontcourt depth to complement Kristaps Porzingis and Onyeka Okongwu if Nance and Capela don’t return.