Hawks announce impact of surgical procedure for sweet-shooting swingman

The Atlanta Hawks have a lot going on this offseason.

In addition to securing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, they are widely expected to explore breaking up their All-Star backcourt.

But there are other potential happenings down the roster, including trade speculation around other players and contract uncertainty. There was also some injury news, with Seth Lundy extending a season-long trend for the Hawks into the offseason.

“Seth Lundy underwent left ankle surgery on May 1 to remove a medial ankle bone spur. The surgery was performed by Dr. Richard Ferkel at the Southern California Orthopedic Institute,” the Hawks announced on X on May 14. “Lundy will miss the NBA2K Summer League and is expected to make a full recovery prior to the 2024-25 season.”

Lundy, 24, was the No. 46 overall pick of the 2023 draft. He dealt with the ankle this season, spraining it versus the Chicago Bulls on December 26. Lundy exited the game after less than two minutes. But he made several appearances after that.

He appeared in just nine games for the Hawks last season, averaging 1.6 points and shooting 23.1% from beyond the arc in a little under six minutes per game.

However, the 6-foot-4 swingman averaged 23.1 points and shot 41.9% from deep last season, logging 10 starts in 12 appearances with the College Park Skyhawks in the G League. He also averaged 6.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.2 blocks.

Hawks’ Seth Lundy to miss NBA2K Summer League

Lundy missing summer league is far from ideal. It’s the first time incoming rookies will face their new peers, some of whom have multiple stints with some veteran players sprinkled in.

It’s also far from the only way players develop or any indication of what they will become.

There is a strong track record of the exhibition series’ top performers offering a glimpse of at least rotational value. But for every Damian Lillard and Josh Selby –  who split the honor in 2012 but had very different NBA careers – there are far more players somewhere in the middle.

Hawks breakout forward Jalen Johnson missed last year’s summer league, his second opportunity to participate. But he was All-Summer-League First Team in his rookie year.

Lundy cannot lay claim to that, unfortunately.

He can lean on the fact that he has a viable skill set that the Hawks need and is a former draft pick. The key will be proving he is still worthy of a roster spot when he gets back healthy before next season.

Lundy is a restricted free agent after his two-way contract expired at the end of the season. He will cost $1.8 million on the qualifying offer.

But the offseason could see shakeups that significantly affect the bottom of the roster. 

For every addition, someone is displaced. If not solely in role then by roster spot. That is again where Lundy’s draft pedigree and skill set come into play. This is a critical offseason for the Hawks in many ways.