Atlanta

Hawks

Newell has been productive in his second summer league on both ends of the floor. He needs to continue to improve as a shooter to have a chance to crack the Hawks’ rotation this season, though. He shot 1-of-3 from deep in this game and is just 3-of-12 this summer. The volume is encouraging, but he still has more growing to do as a rebounder, defender and floor spacer, even if he has developed considerably since entering the NBA already.

Veesaar was quiet in Salt Lake City, but he was able to make a strong offensive impact in his first game in Las Vegas. He got some boards and defensive stats as well, which was a nice bonus, but his success on offense will help him get on the floor in year one. Defense is still a question mark for him, but if he’s able to score in year one, he could end up being a rotation piece for the Hawks as a rookie.

Ejiofor has struggled with his scoring efficiency through three summer league games, but he has still found other ways to impact the game. He made more of an impact on the glass in Salt Lake City, but he has been a solid playmaker and defender in all three games so far. He should end up slotting in as a valuable rotation piece for the Hawks in year one.

Flemings has struggled as a scorer this summer, but his impact as a defender and playmaker has been evident. That was the case in Salt Lake City, and it has carried over to Las Vegas. So far this summer, he has 22 assists, 10 stocks and just three turnovers. Atlanta has enough scoring options, so if Flemings’ scoring struggles continue during the regular season, his defense and playmaking should allow him to still make a positive impact in year one.

While there is mutual interest between the Lakers and Kuminga, who is an unrestricted free agent after the Hawks declined his option, the two sides are reportedly far apart on a deal. With the Lakers’ activity at the start of free agency, they’re limited in how much money they can spend to fill their remaining roster spot. In fact, the Lakers would have to shed $20 million to pay Kuminga $10 million annually, and that price tag won’t get the job done. As a result, it’s been reported that the Lakers are interested in a sign-and-trade that would send Jarred Vanderbilt and a 2032 first-round pick to Atlanta. While Vanderbilt offers limited offensive production at best, he is a solid defender. However, his contract combined with a future first-round pick may not be all that appealing to the Hawks. Cleveland is also reportedly interested in Kuminga, but the chase for LeBron James takes priority for the Cavaliers.

Veesaar logged 24 minutes and showcased some of the long-distance shooting that made him an intriguing prospect. He finished as one of six Hawks players to score in double figures, with his four assists being a nice bonus. Veesaar was selected in the second round of the most recent draft and could have a chance to play minutes for the Hawks this season. His progress will be worth following throughout the summer.

After a solid showing in Saturday’s summer opener, Newell shot the ball better on Monday. His improved efficiency in that area is encouraging for the Hawks, who rarely called Newell’s number during his rookie season. That said, rebounding and defense will likely need to be his calling cards if he’s to crack Quin Snyder’s rotation once the regular season begins.

After struggling with his shot in his summer debut on Saturday, Flemings cleaned some things up on Monday. However, where he once again stood out was as a playmaker and defender. Flemings recorded five more assists while committing just one turnover, and his four “stocks” included three blocked shots. While he’s likely to come off the bench as a rookie, Flemings has shown early on that he may offer value in deeper redraft leagues to managers specifically seeking assists and defensive stats.

After starting slowly, due mainly to Oklahoma City’s Aday Mara, Ejiofor looked far more comfortable offensively in the second half. Excellent on the glass throughout, he made his final three shots after starting 2-of-10 from the field. Eight of Ejiofor’s field-goal attempts came from beyond the arc, a major departure from what he was asked to do at the college level. Due to Atlanta’s need for interior depth, he’ll be in the mix for rotation minutes when training camp begins. That won’t mean much in redraft leagues, but Ejiofor will be a solid option to have rostered in dynasty leagues.

Veesaar slid to the Hawks at pick No. 52 last month, but he’s far more talented than his draft slot. However, he didn’t contribute much during his 18-minute summer league debut. It’s obviously far too early to draw any conclusions, but Veesaar should see his role increase as summer league continues.