The Atlanta Hawks have signed 2024 second-round pick Nikola Durisic, the team announced Friday.
Per reporting by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the deal is a three-year, $5.95 million contract that includes $1.27 million fully guaranteed for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Durisic, the No. 43 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft by Miami, spent last season with Atlanta’s G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks. He was acquired by the Hawks on a draft night trade, with his rights going to Atlanta in a three-team deal that included Houston and Miami.
This is a bargain deal to bring an exciting young prospect to Atlanta
Contracts like this are a great example of Onsi Saleh and Atlanta’s front office nailing the small things. In baseball terms, it’s hitting singles instead of swinging for the fences with every move.
Those “singles” add up, and the Hawks have hit a lot of them this offseason.
They’ve bettered the team’s roster without taking on a bloated contract that hamstrings their cap space. They’ve added useful players on smaller deals without committing major salary figures to them.
Should Durisic blow up for the parent team, he’s on an extremely team-friendly contract that stretches multiple seasons. If not, he’s not weighing down Atlanta’s books with his cap hit. It’s the definition of a low-risk, high-upside move.
As for Durisic’s skillset, he’s a rangy 6-foot-8 forward who has drawn comparisons to swingmen like Bojan Bogdanovic, per NBADraft.net. Just last season, he showcased his versatility on both ends of the floor in his Skyhawks debut. He emerged as a quality shooter who can also make plays off the bounce. That wiry frame helps him stand on the defensive end. Pair the two together, and it’s hard not to see his potential fit into an NBA rotation.
With Atlanta employing one of the weaker defensive guards in the NBA (Trae Young), surrounding him with shooters that are “switchy” defenders is a must. Jalen Johnson and Zaccharie Risacher are textbook examples of players to surround Young with. It has yet to be seen if Durisic will join them.
In the immediate future, Durisic will suit up for the Hawks’ Summer League squad, who opens play today at 4:30 p.m. against the Miami Heat. He’s projected to have a sizable role within the team’s summer rotation. Fans should be excited to see how the newest investment that Atlanta’s front office made shows out in Las Vegas.