NBA
Hawks’ rookie Asa Newell is making a name for himself through three games of summer league action
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated10 hours ago on July 17, 2025
Following the 2024-25 season, the Atlanta Hawks made several changes to their roster. They traded with the Celtics to acquire big man Kristaps Porzingis. Additionally, the team acquired Nickiel Alexander-Walker via a sign-and-trade with Minnesota.
Heading into the 2025 draft, the Hawks had the 13th overall pick. They were offered the 23rd pick and an unprotected 2026 first-round pick by the Pelicans and took the deal. Atlanta slid back 10 spots in the draft and was still able to land the player they were targeting. With the 23rd pick, they selected Asa Newell out of Georgia. Through three summer league games, Newell is working to prove he deserves real playing time in 2025-26.
Asa Newell has been showing off his touch from range in summer league
Asa Newell through three Summer League games:
🤑 13.3 PTS
🤑 8.3 REB
🤑 51.9% FG
🤑 50% 3-PT FG pic.twitter.com/IvefvB2QnR— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) July 17, 2025
Before he was drafted by the Hawks, Asa Newell spent one season with the Georgia Bulldogs. He was a true freshman last season and was his team’s best player. Newell averaged 15.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. Through three games of summer league action, Asa Newell is making a name for himself. The six-foot-eleven big man is a unique talent that the Hawks were ecstatic to select.
In his first summer league game, Asa Newell had eight points, eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals. However, he was an inefficient 3-9 from the field. Newell put that game behind him and scored a team-high 18 points on Sunday vs. Phoenix. The rookie was an efficient 7-9 from the field and was 4-5 from beyond the arc.
i like what i’m seeing from Asa Newell
he’s been extremely active, switching onto guards and crashing the glass. always gets out and runs in transition pic.twitter.com/qHDumLhV6E
— Hawks Film Room (@atlhawksfilm) July 13, 2025
Additionally, Newell had 11 rebounds and one block in a 98-80 win vs. the Suns. Hawks’ summer league head coach Bryan Bailey said the team has given Newell the confidence to take and make three-pointers. Newell wasn’t hesitant vs. the Suns and made 80% of his three-pointers. Through three summer league games, Asa Newell is averaging 13.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
He’s shooting 50% on his three-pointers, and that will make him extremely valuable as a front-court player. Big men who can shoot help space the floor offensively. To begin the season, Asa Newell will be a backup for Atlanta. However, he’s shown a skill set through summer league that could quickly transition to the NBA.
