Hawks 2024-25 schedule: Dejounte Murray's return with Pelicans & 6 more key games

The Atlanta Hawks will open the 2024-25 regular season at home against the Brooklyn Nets on October 23. They will also notably visit the New York Knicks on MLK Day (January 20).

Those are but two of the notable games on the schedule, which the NBA released on August 15. 

The Hawks remade their roster over the 2024 offseason, most notably trading Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans. We now know when Murray will make his return to Atlanta as a member of the Pelicans.

Murray spent two admittedly and unexpectedly tumultuous seasons with the Hawks following the official NBA schedule release on August 15.

Dejounte Murray, Pelicans visit Hawks: December 20

They were one year removed from a run to the Eastern Conference Finals and seeking a suitable co-star alongside three-time All-Star Trae Young. Both stars maintained their relationship off the court was strong despite the lack of team results on it.

However, there will surely be plenty of competitive spirit when the two former teammates face off again for the first time after the trade. 

The matchups in New Orleans will surely be entertaining assuming health. But Murray’s return to Atlanta figures to have the biggest buildup. Still, he will not be the only player facing their former team in those games.

Cody Zeller, Dyson Daniels, and Larry Nance Jr. will all be doing the same after coming over to the Hawks in the Murray trade. The Hawks split their two matchups versus the Pels in 2023-24.

There are plenty of other key matchups to mark down on the calendar.

Hawks 1st visit from Alexandre Sarr, Saddiq Bey, & Washington Wizards: October 28

Alexandre Sarr was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. But he was the early favorite to go No. 1 overall to the Hawks, who selected his French countryman, Zaccharie Risacher, instead. 

Sarr avoided working out for the Hawks but also saw early and consistent attention from the Wizards during the pre-draft process.

Hawks general manager Landry Fields said they identified Risacher as the pick fairly early.

The 6-foot-10 (in shoes) rookie looked the part of a high-level role player at least when he gets his feet under him during his two-game foray in NBA 2K25 Summer League. Sarr struggled over the exhibition circuit and will likely be looking to show why he believes he was the top prospect.

He may not be the only Wizards player with some additional motivation. The Hawks let Saddiq Bey leave, declining to extend him a qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent.

That decision would have cost them roughly $8 million.

Bey is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in March and is expected to miss time in the 2024-25 season because of it. Former Hawks president Travis Schlenk is also a member of the Wizards front office, adding another layer of rivalry to the matchup for the NBA Cup group mates.

The Hawks were 3-1 versus the Wizards in 2023-24.

Bruno Fernando’s return to Atlanta with Raptors: January 23

The Hawks agreed with Bruno Fernando’s camp on a rescheduled guarantee date for his contract two times before ultimately deciding to part ways with the veteran big man amid a logjam in the frontcourt.

Fernando thanked the Hawks for his time, which was the second stint of his career with the organization.

The Hawks went 2-2 versus the Raptors in 2023-24.

AJ Griffin & the Houston Rockets: January 11

The Hawks drafted AJ Griffin with the No. 16 pick of the 2022 NBA Draft. He burst onto the scene with a penchant for three-point shooting and clutch shot-making. However, defensive woes and off-court issues derailed him in Atlanta.

The Hawks traded him to the Houston Rockets – who made a strong playoff push over the tail end of the 2023-24 season – during the 2024 offseason.

Atlanta also won both matchups in 2023-24, which could add to Houston’s motivation.

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on New Years Day

Nikola Jokic is fresh off winning a bronze medal run at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics alongside Hawks swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic. 

The Nuggets failed to repeat as NBA champions in 2023-24. But they still present a formidable opponent. 

The Hawks lost both tilts with Denver in 2023-24.

Hawks close regular season vs Magic: April 13

Division rivalries are always intense even if the distinction does not hold the same weight as it does in other sports. 

The Magic with 2022 No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero are also a good team, finishing the 2023-24 regular season as the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. 

They won 11 more games than the Hawks, but Atlanta went 3-1 in their head-to-head matchups.

Patty Mills & the Heat visit: December 28

The Hawks waived Mills acquired Mills in July 2023 and waived him in February 2024. Still, he was a part of the 2023-24 team and joined a division rival in the Miami Heat in March.

That is more than enough ingredients for a compelling matchup when the two teams square off.

1st showdown with the NBA champion Boston Celtics: November 4

The Hawks split their two matchups with the Boston Celtics in 2023-24. Atlanta’s last playoff series also came against the Celtics after the 2022-23 season. The two teams are also groupmates for the NBA Cup in 2024-25, setting the stage for another entertaining tilt.

Fans can view the full schedule here.