When the Atlanta Hawks drafted Asa Newell, the pick was met with instant approval from Trae Young, and the All-Star may have had a small hand in the selection.
Newell was the 23rd pick after averaging 15.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, one steal and one block on 54.3% shooting from the field last season at Georgia. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team, ranking 20th in the country in offensive rebounds (110).
Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh said after the draft that the team loved his skill set and ability to make winning plays on the court. Saleh conferred with Young throughout the offseason on various roster moves, and the veteran was pleased with the addition of Newell.
“Even the draft stuff, I was like, ‘Trae, what do you think about this guy? What do you think about this guy?'” Saleh said on Friday. “He was big on Asa, too; really big on Asa. He was a huge fan of his.”
Newell previously revealed that Young was the first player on the roster to reach out to him, welcoming him to the organization. Young even attended his introductory press conference on June 27 and had the chance to catch up with him afterward.
The soon-to-be 20-year-old debuted with the Hawks in summer league, averaging 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, one assist and one steal on 42.9% shooting from 3-point range in four games. He registered one double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds on July 13.
Newell has been warmly welcomed by the team and players. He’ll soon have the chance to hit the court with Young and the rest of the roster and begin his rookie campaign, with training camp set to tip off on Tuesday.
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