Atlanta

Hawks

Bufkin was a pitiful 6-of-19 from the field, but he hit four of his 10 attempts from beyond the arc and got teammates involved with six dimes. Bufkin struggled with his shot in his Summer League debut, and through two games, he’s totaled 25 points on 10-of-33 shooting. Encouragingly, he’s doing enough elsewhere to make up for the rough efficiency.

While the Hawks will save $4.5 million in cap space with the trade, Mills can provide perimeter shooting off the bench if given the opportunity to compete for minutes. He’s shooting nearly 39% from three of his career but only appeared in 40 games last season. Given the uncertainty regarding his role in Atlanta, fantasy managers can afford to leave Mills alone for now.

Griffin didn’t have a great night shooting the basketball, as he went 1-of-5 from two and produced a slightly better percentage from three. But he did grab a team-best nine rebounds (tied with Tyrese Martin), and that’s an area where the second-year wing will need to contribute. Griffin finished last season with an average of just 2.1 rebounds per game after averaging nearly four during his lone season at Duke. Given the Hawks’ depth on the wings and overall scoring options, Griffin will need to contribute in other areas if he’s to lock down a spot in the rotation. Even though he didn’t shoot the ball well on Friday, AJ’s rebounding production represents a step in the right direction.

The 39th overall pick in last month’s draft, Gueye had a good night on the offensive glass in his summer debut. Four of his five rebounds were corralled on the offensive end of the floor, which isn’t a surprise given how well he performed in this area as a collegian. During his sophomore season at Washington State, Gueye produced a personal offensive rebound percentage of 12.2. Getting the rotation minutes he would need for fantasy relevance could be difficult in Atlanta, as the Hawks still have Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu. Gueye is a player fantasy managers should keep in mind for the future, especially in deeper dynasty leagues.

Bufkin had a tough night in his summer league debut. In addition to struggling with his shot, the first-round pick was responsible for eight turnovers and eight fouls. In fairness to Bufkin, there were some plays in which he did well to set up a teammate, only for them not to convert the resulting opportunity. The good news for the Hawks is that they can be patient with Bufkin due to the presence of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. Even if he shines for the remainder of summer league, it’s unlikely that the rookie guard will get the minutes he’ll need to be a relevant fantasy option when the regular season begins.

Murray is heading into the final season of his current contract, so getting something done was a priority for the Hawks front office. The two sides are reportedly finalizing an agreement on an extension, with Murray getting a player option for the final season of the deal. Just as important is that, after being mentioned in trade rumors this summer, he cannot be moved for six months. This locks in Murray as a key building block alongside Trae Young, whose new contract goes into effect this season. While his fantasy value took a hit with the move from San Antonio to Atlanta, Murray was still a top 50 player in 8- and 9-cat formats. Look for him to, at a minimum, approach third-round status in 9-cat formats next season.

How much of the deal is guaranteed has yet to be disclosed, but this is quite the commitment to make to a second-round pick. Gueye started all 33 games he appeared in for Washington State last season, averaging 14.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 32.1 minutes. He made significant improvements from his freshman to sophomore season, and Gueye (who won’t turn 21 until November) is a player some believe is capable of taking another step as a pro. However, with Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu in the mix, rotation minutes may not be readily available right away.

Since being drafted 23rd in 2021, Garuba has been a depth piece for the Rockets. He’ll get a fresh start in Atlanta in a cost-cutting move for Houston, but that won’t result in him getting much of an opportunity at minutes.

Both Washington and Garuba are former first round picks, but the Rockets need to clear some cap space to avoid the luxury tax. They signed Fred VanVleet to a three-year, $130 million deal, and with the new CBA, they need to move money and assets around. Neither player will have much of an impact in fantasy basketball.

While he only appeared in nine games for the Hawks after being acquired from the Rockets at the February trade deadline, Mathews has made a positive enough impression to ensure that his contract for next season is guaranteed. In 54 total games played last season, he averaged 4.8 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.2 3-pointers in 12.7 minutes. Mathews remaining in Atlanta won’t impact fantasy leagues, as he should not be on any manager’s draft radar.