With the flurry of headline-grabbing additions that the Atlanta Hawks have made this offseason, one that may be getting a little overlooked is rookie Asa Newell. After his efforts in the NBA Summer League over the past week, the team appears to have another quality depth piece for its 2025-26 rotation.
Hawks Rookie Already Flashing Potential
For University of Georgia basketball fans, Newell is already a known commodity. The 6-foot-11 19-year-old became a freshman star for the 20-win Bulldogs last season. Helping lead UGA to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in a decade, Newell averaged 15.4 points and 6.9 rebounds while shooting better than 54% from the field in 33 games.
Newell decided to leave the college ranks after just one season and enter the NBA Draft. He was selected 23rd overall by the Hawks following a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans that also sent a 2026 first-round pick to Atlanta. It was a shrewd move by the Atlanta front office that looks even smarter now.
The Hawks have gone 4-0 in Summer League play. Newell has been a key factor in that success, averaging 13.5 points and 8.2 boards per game. He has shot 51.3% from the field overall and 6-of-14 (42.9%) from beyond the arc. Newell has also pulled down multiple offensive rebounds in each contest.
Perhaps the biggest flaw on Newell's stat sheet from Vegas is a 44.4% success rate from the free-throw line. He will obviously need to improve upon that mark.
Unfortunately, the Hawks will be out on the Summer League's four-game playoff this weekend due to tiebreaker rules. The squad will close out with one final matchup against the Celtics on Sunday.
The Hawks already have quite a strong group up front. Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, and last year's No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher are now joined by Kristaps Porzingis. Newell won't feel the pressure to quickly become a feature contributor. That should afford him the chance to smoothly transition into NBA-level play.
What Newell does immediately give the Hawks is another towering, athletic option off the bench. Considering that Johnson and Porzingis were both significantly limited by injuries last season, Newell could be called upon to provide relief minutes fairly often from the outset of the season.